Artist's impression: winged rocket stage approaches converted airliner during coupling
DLR's patented in-air capture process is an innovative approach to recovering reusable space transporters. In this method, winged stages are captured mid-air and towed back to the launch site by a subsonic aircraft, meaning rocket stages do not need their own propulsion system. Between 2019 and 2022, the FALCon project, coordinated by DLR, investigated the key technologies for this technique in a Europe-wide consortium. In-air capture promises to be a climate compatible and cost-effective solution for returning medium to large reusable launch vehicle stages.