"Success does not come easily, but excitement is!"
Robot Chopsticks
Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, stated that the company will do something different to recover its Super Heavy booster once it launches.
Musk tweeted Monday morning that SpaceX would try to capture the largest flying object ever with robot chopsticks.
This was obviously referring to the huge robotic tower SpaceX is creating to capture the primary rocket stage.
Musk was true to his character and added a link to a clip of The Karate Kid from 1984 that shows Musk catching flies using chopsticks.
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Musk said that success is not always guaranteed but that excitement is.
This is a significant moment in Starship's development. The spacecraft can't escape Earth's gravitational pull without its massive booster. However, we are getting closer to seeing the first Super Heavy leave ground.
Mechazilla
Musk announced last year that Mechazilla, the CEO's nickname for the structure, will allow for a soft landing.
Musk responded to a fan-made animation in December that he was going to attempt to capture the Super Heavy Booster using the launch tower arm and grid fins. The tower arms will act like giant chopsticks that guide the booster to the ground.
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Musk also announced earlier in the month that Mechazilla would be used to capture Starship, except Mars and Moon, where he shrewdly pointed out that there isn't yet any infrastructure.
Static Fire
SpaceX has completed construction of the massive launch tower measuring 440 feet late last month. This will allow SpaceX to launch the Super Heavy booster prototype for the first time.
After a fitting earlier in the month, 29 Raptor engines were reinstalled by the company on its first orbital class prototype, Booster 4, last week.
SpaceX is likely to attempt a static test fire with the prototype within the next few weeks. However, a full test launch may still be some way off. Federal Aviation Administration is still working on an environmental review, which could take weeks or even months.
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We will be there to see the Super Heavy leave the ground.
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