MILAN — For many of the more than 11,000 participants at this year’s International Astronautical Congress, the biggest news of the week-long conference was not what happened inside the vast convention center here, but what happened more than 9,000 kilometers away. That’s what happened.
The latest flight of SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy Vehicle, which took place in Boca Chica, Texas, on October 13, the day before the IAC opening ceremony, demonstrated the ability of the Super Heavy booster to return to the launch site and launch. It was “captured” by a mechanical arm attached to the launch tower. This is a major step toward the company’s vision for rapid vehicle reuse, which will be necessary for some of the most important short-term missions such as NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) program.
Although SpaceX itself kept a low profile at the IAC, with no booth in the exhibit hall and no large-scale presentations, this flight was the talk of the show for many, demonstrating SpaceX’s capabilities and, for some, This shows that the gap with other industries is widening. .
For NASA, the flight was a sign that development of the HLS version of Starship is on track for Artemis 3, officially scheduled for September 2026 or later.
“Just yesterday, Space It was a success.” “This was another step in the development iteration.”
At a press conference the next day, he added that work on the HLS version of Starship is progressing as planned. “I think the results of Sunday’s tests with SpaceX and its large rocket show that they are progressing very well. That will ultimately determine the timing of Artemis 3’s moon landing.” he said. “As of Sunday’s test, that was spot on.”
“They’re planning to land in late 2026, so it’s only right that they hit the benchmark,” he said of SpaceX later in the briefing.
The successful flight was also welcomed by companies planning to use Starship for other missions, from launching large payloads like commercial space stations into low Earth orbit to commercial missions to the moon. Ta.
But for industry and government officials, the latest Starship test flight, especially in Europe, comes as the continent emerges from a “launch crisis” with Ariane 6’s successful first launch and return to flight in July. It provoked various reactions among the people. Vega C in early December.
“Congratulations to SpaceX. An amazing feat of engineering. “Mars is here,” Rocket Factory Augsburg said in a social media post on Oct. 14. “At the same time, there is a second side to this coin, which shows and confirms that Europe has completely lost touch. Can it still catch up? There is no chance. It’s not going that way.”
The company, whose first RFA ONE rocket was lost in a static fire test accident in August, is appealing to European governments to serve as a major customer for new rockets, increase investment and provide a “non-bureaucratic and fast-track solution.” He called for a “framework that enables and promotes the development of innovative rockets.” Development at risk. ”
Josef Aschbacher, head of the European Space Agency, said in an October 15 interview that he was “fascinated” by the launch from an engineering perspective. “Then we have to think about what it means for Europe, what changes there will be to landscapes and ecosystems, and what we need to do.”
He acknowledged that Europe cannot compete head-on with Starship, but could instead take advantage of the far-reaching changes in the space economy it would enable. “How do we position ourselves within this ecosystem that is currently evolving?” he said. “You can imagine that if Starships were to carry 100 tons into space frequently, everything in the universe would change, including the structure of things and the way space is used.”
He said it was “interesting” that the RFA criticized Europe for falling further behind in launches, adding that Europe should take steps to make the launch industry more competitive while supporting emerging markets such as commercial cargo transportation. He pointed out that he was teaching the following. “We’re on the right path. We’re moving full speed ahead in this direction.”
Starship and SpaceX’s reuse of the Falcon 9 booster made it clear to many that reusability is essential for future launch vehicles. Indian Space Agency Chairman S. Somanath said in a plenary session on October 14 that the Indian government recently launched a new generation rocket (NGLV), which has improved payload performance than existing rockets and has a reusable booster. He said he had approved the development. He estimated that NGLV would take six years to develop.
“I think everyone recognizes that reusability is a must for launchers,” he said.
