SpaceX's Crazy Plan to REUSE Starship Boosters after Caught by Mechazilla...

reusability that's what many have been eagerly awaiting to see from Starship and now with the successful recovery of booster 15 SpaceX has three boosters that have demonstrated their ability to return and are prime candidates for reuse attempts it's likely that SpaceX already has plans in motion for this next big step so which booster will be chosen when will the first booster reuse attempt take place and how will SpaceX prepare for it let's find out in today's episode of great SpaceX spacex's successful Landings of the super heavy booster remain among the most remarkable achievements in the Starship program each recovery is a testament to the company's technological prows demonstrating the Precision and capability required to bring these massive boosters safely back to Earth so far SpaceX has recovered three boosters including two consecutive Landings reinforcing the company's long-term goal of full reusability for Starship now the potential for booster reuse is closer than ever and it's time to take a closer look at the three recovered candidates the first is B15 in the latest updates after being placed on the booster transport stand B15 was moved from Mega Bay 1 following about 2 weeks of in inspections it was then transferred to the Rocket Garden where B12 was already stationed footage of b15s Transport reveals that it remains in a stable condition the forward section particularly around the git fins has some discoloration likely caused by the stresses of the separation process however the grid fins themselves appear to be in excellent shape showing no signs of structural damage or imbalance during rotation tests although the booster was mounted on a transport stand obscuring the engines from view images taken before it was lowered onto the orbital launch Mount suggest that its propulsion system remains mostly intact except for the two engines that encountered issues during the Boost back burn other critical components such as the fuel tanks and Inter stage also appear to be in good condition during flight 8 B15 performed well throughout the ascent and return phases successfully navigating back and executing a smooth Landing despite experiencing engine difficulties this strong performance makes B15 a viable candidate for reuse however extensive checks will be necessary particularly on the malfunctioning engines and fuel pump system which previously contributed to an abort on the 3rd of March if all inspections go well B15 could become spacex's first booster to be refone next there's b14 learning from experiences of flights 5 and 6 SpaceX achieved an even greater level of success with b14 in fact its Landing was arguably more precise and controlled than b15s b14 had a stable ascent and executed a near Perfect Landing while one of its engines encountered an issue during the Boost back burn it successfully reignited for the landing burn ensuring a smooth and controlled touchdown this clean Landing was an improvement over B12 which experienced a small fire after it flight after landing b114 was transported to Mega Bay 1 on January 18th where it has remained for extensive postflight inspections the continued focus on this booster suggests that it may be a strong Contender for reuse lastly there's B12 the first to successfully land using mechazilla catch arms b12's flight was an impressive milestone for SpaceX with no significant issues during most of its Mission however toward the end of of the flight and after landing a small fire developed on one side of the booster causing some damage to its inner stage following the flight B12 was returned to Mega Bay 1 for inspections and later moved to the Rocket Garden on the 28th of October over the past few months it has likely undergone thorough evaluations and minor refurbishments with its historic status as the first caught booster B12 remains a significant prototype though its minor post-flight damage may impact its chances of reuse now that we've reviewed the three recovered boosters let's consider the likelihood of a reuse attempt in the near future with the current pace of testing it appears that flight 9 will utilize booster 16 rather than a previously flown booster despite speculation that a reuse attempt might happen sooner meanwhile B17 has completed stacking and B18 is expected to be the first V2 booster given spacex's desire to advance to the Next Generation booster as soon as possible the chances of reusing one of the recovered boosters on an upcoming flight seem relatively low in the short term on the Starship side ship 35 is assigned to flight 9 paired with b116 meanwhile s36 and 37 are undergoing stacking a new liquid oxygen header tank likely for s38 has also been spotted and it is expected to be the first ship V3 prototype pairing a V1 booster with a V3 ship would be highly inefficient so it is likely that B18 and s38 will be tested together given the current lineup of prototypes there may only be one opportunity for booster reuse in the near future the competition among B12 14 and 15 for that opportunity will be intense each booster has its own strengths B12 has had the most time for inspections refurbishments and upgrades b14 appears to be in the best condition postf flight with a smooth Landing and minimal issues B15 demonstrated exceptional control and stability even while dealing with inflight complications based on flight results post-flight assessments and recent updates b14 seems to be the strongest Contender for a reuse attempt in fact earlier predictions suggested that b14 could have been used for flight 9 instead of B16 so if there is only one chance for a booster reuse which one do you think will fly again let us know in the comments below and don't forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel for more updates on spacex's development Journey but yes no matter which booster is ultimately selected the first reuse attempt may be just around the corner as mentioned earlier two potential ship prototypes s36 and s37 are the most likely candidates to pair with a reused booster however s37 seems to be the stronger choice for this Mission recent updates on S3 6 revealed that its forward section is already equipped with a landing pin system if flight 9 is successful s36 will likely be designated for the first catching attempt using mechazilla arms given the complexity of this maneuver it would be impractical to also test a reused booster on the same flight instead s36 will likely be paired with B17 ensuring a controlled and focused approach for the catching attempt in contrast recent footage of s37 forward section shows no signs of Landing pins since s37 flight would likely take place after s36 is catching attempt but before the introduction of the first V3 ship which is s38 it would be well suited for pairing with a reused booster this Mission would correspond to flight 11 if SpaceX maintains its current Pace flight 11 is expected to take place around the middle of this year possibly in June or July however reaching this Milestone will require overcoming several key challenges first SpaceX must conduct thorough inspections of the recovered boosters each vehicle will need extensive refurbishments and upgrades particularly in areas that showed wear or malfunctions during their previous flights this includes addressing engine system issues in b14 and B15 resolving fuel system concerns in B15 and repairing the chin section of B12 which sustained damage from a post Landing fire after refurbishment The Chosen booster will likely undergo a series of static fire tests and structural assessments to ensure reliability after months of inactivity special attention must be given to critical installation components such as the hot staging ring to verify they remain functional after reuse fortunately reused boosters have the advantage of shorter preparation times compared to newly manufactured Vehicles if b14 is indeed selected it is likely already undergoing intense preparations inside Mega Bay beyond the booster itself the success of upcoming flights will play a crucial role in Paving the way for reuse flight 9 must be carefully prepared incorporating upgrades and refinements to maximize the chances of mission success the flight will help validate recent modifications and identify any remaining weaknesses that need Improvement before a reuse attempt more importantly the ship assigned to this flight must successfully return and land laying the groundw for for the next major step a catching attempt in flight 10 flight 10 will be one of spacex's most ambitious tests yet as it'll Mark the first attempt to catch a descending Starship with mechazilla arms this is one of the final and most difficult challenges on the path to full reusability success in this effort will prove that SpaceX can recover and reuse not only the booster but also the ship itself revolutionizing orbital class rocket operations a successful catching attempt will also open the door for space to focus on launching a reused booster once the landing and catching process is fully validated the company can shift its attention to testing the durability and reliability of a previously flown super heavy indeed the Milestone of reusing a Starship booster is closer than many think if successful SpaceX will have achieved half of its ultimate goal a fully reusable launch system The Next Step will be even more challenging refly a Starship the final piece of the puzzle that that will Mark the complete realization of full reusability SpaceX is on the verge of another groundbreaking leap further cementing its dominance over the rest of the industry for years SpaceX has revolutionized space flights with the partial reusability of Falcon Rockets a capability that has allowed the company to drastically cut costs and accelerate its launch Cadence meanwhile most other organizations have yet to achieve even this level of reusability NASA's SLS and ula's Vulcan remain fully Expendable While Blue Origins attempts with new Glenn have yet to materialize into success now with full reusability on the horizon for Starship SpaceX is poised to widen the Gap even further achieving this Milestone will not only redefine the reusability race but also play SpaceX far ahead in the broader Space Race Paving the way for more frequent and cost effective missions to orbit and Beyond of course the road to full reusability remains challenging requiring continuous refinement and rigorous testing however with multiple recovered boosters ready for a second flight the momentum is stronger than ever the next step is in spacex's hands will they take the leap and Usher in a new era for Starship the answer is coming soon and the world is watching this has been Kevin with great SpaceX don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay up to date with yours truly in the latest details of spacex's progress thank you so much for tuning in and remember curiosity imagination and inspiration will always follow you as long as you keep looking up