In early October 2024, SpaceX launched its fifth Starship and successfully caught its Super Heavy booster upon return, marking a significant milestone for the company’s fully reusable spacecraft system. The mission, conducted from SpaceX’s South Texas launch site, involved a 33-engine booster powering Starship into orbit, followed by the booster’s controlled descent and precision landing on a drone ship. This mission reflects continued progress toward making space travel more sustainable and cost-effective, with a focus on refining reusable launch vehicles for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

This development in reusable launch systems has strong implications for space cybersecurity. As the frequency of space missions increases, so does the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure. The interconnected systems that manage launch operations, spacecraft communication, and autonomous landing procedures are potential targets for cyberattacks. Safeguarding these systems is crucial to ensure that vulnerabilities are not exploited, leading to unauthorized access, sabotage, or loss of mission control, particularly in a future where commercial and government missions are expected to expand in scale and complexity.

“SpaceX Launches Fifth Starship, Catches Super Heavy Booster.” SpaceNews, 5 Oct. 2024. https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-fifth-starship-catches-super-heavy-booster/