Read, Watch or Listen

SpaceX aims to reuse its Starship spacecraft immediately after flights, catching it with mechanical arms on the launchpad. A major challenge is the heat shield, which needs to withstand atmospheric re-entry without damage, unlike the space shuttle's fragile tiles. SpaceX is iteratively testing new tile designs, including active cooling, through repeated flights. Success requires flawlessly completing a full flight and ensuring the landing system doesn't damage the heat shield. While soft landings have been achieved, tile loss remains a problem that needs solving before fully reusable Starship flights become reality.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.