Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will attempt to capture both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, or "Ship," during its 15th flight test, potentially as soon as next month. The plan was revealed during the company's earnings call, where a simulation video demonstrated the Ship being caught by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. This method was previously used to retrieve the Super Heavy booster.
While both stages previously splashed into the ocean for test flight 14, the goal is to develop a fully reusable orbital vehicle for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars. Capturing the upper stage is a significant challenge, as it travels higher, farther, and faster than the booster. For Flight 14, the Ship was intended to spend 10 hours in orbit before returning to Earth, unlike the booster's few-minute journey.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing