SpaceX has unveiled its latest upgrade for its Starship Super Heavy booster: gigantic new grid fins to catch the world’s most powerful rocket with the launch tower. Starship Super Heavy is the largest rocket in development and the only one to ever be designed to be caught by a launch tower. These newly redesigned grid fins will enhance Starship Super Heavy booster performance and reusability while also reducing propellant needs.
SpaceX, at the end of 2024, conducted early tests of the second-generation Starship upper stage but the first-generation Super Heavy booster was still used. Its booster is already a proven commodity, despite past issues with both the engines and stage separation. SpaceX has caught the booster three times, but in the most recent Starship test, the booster didn’t soft splash in the ocean, making a better soft landing needed for improved grid fins. and better grid fins needed for softl of the Falcon 9, making a grid fins. Catching boosters was been good.
The grid fins on the Starship are 50% larger and stronger compared to the earlier versions. With these huge fins, SpaceX can have three instead of four fins for better control of the vehicle and the booster can come back to Earth at a higher angle of attack. This design also enables Starship Super Heavy booster catching directly by the launch tower, like Falcon 9 booster recovery process.
SpaceX engineers also added a new catch point and lowered the fins on the booster for improved tower catching. The fins shafts, actuators, and control structures are now integrated into the booster’s fuel tank, making it much more efficient and reliable. Super Heavy fins are now attached to the booster Elon Musk confirmed were for the first production version of the third-generation Super Heavy.
Starship Flight 10, the next flight, hasn’t even launched yet. Local media footage of the upper stage ship returning to the launch site for engine tests. SPACEX Photo The engines underwent a pump test as SpaceX geared up to return the rocket to the companys nearby assembly facilities today. Upgraded Starship Super Heavy grid fins are a big leap towards true reuse of rockets and next-gen space travel.
Through these, SpaceX are innovating on re-usable rocket tech like never before in AI safety, efficiency, and cost-effective approaches in space exploration. Starship Super Heavy, which has recently added huge grid fins, is closer than ever to regular tower-catch launches.
FAQ
The new grid fins are meant to catch the Starship Super Heavy booster with the launch tower, which should increase fuel economy and reusability.
As with the first-generation fins, redesigned grid fins are 50 percent larger and structurally enhanced.
It will be used for reusability as well, though the new grid fins will aid recovery by way of the launch tower rather than by ocean splashdown.
Those upgraded grid fins will be part of the third-generation Starship Super Heavy booster.
Starship Flight 10 has not launched yet (the top stage is still undergoing hotfire testing at the launch site).
