Hacker News

Favorites Setup
Comment by tristanj | original | SpaceX catches the Starship to end Flight 15
[−]tristanj · 2026-11-15 Sun 12:16 UTC · link
this doesn't make sense for Starship - Starship is RTLS (return to launch site), and a cable/net catch system creates an unnecessarily complex launch tower.

The cable catch system for long march 10B is superior to the landing legs of falcon 9 - of the 11 falcon 9 failures, a cable catch system would have avoided 4-6 of them. Removing the landing legs also reduces the rocket dry mass and increases payload mass to orbit.

If SpaceX did Falcon 9 again, they would likely use a cable catch system, as it resolves about half of falcon 9's historic landing failures.