Elon Musk's SpaceX Will Use 'Robot Chopsticks' To Catch 'Largest-Ever Flying Object'

The king of all-things-absurd and space tech mogul Elon Musk is planning another event of scientific importance (we hope)!

The Tesla and SpaceX founder created buzz on Monday after a Tweet wherein he claimed that SpaceX will attempt to catch the largest-ever flying object. All that made sense, until he added that the object would be caught by using "robot chopsticks".

Reuters

To add to confusion, Musk included a video from the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid. Perplexed? Don't worry, it's Musk's style of diction.

SpaceX will try to catch largest ever flying object with robot chopsticks.

Success is not guaranteed, but excitement is!https://t.co/75yMgIWOwE

¡ª Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2021

¡°Success is not guaranteed, but excitement is!¡±, Musk added to his Tweet with the accompanying YouTube link wherein Mr. Miyagi from the film is catching flies using chopsticks while Daniel LaRusso watches on and attempts to do the same.

Reuters

What are these chopsticks?

Musk didn't give any details in his Tweet, but it seems that he may be referring to a new launch tower intended to catch stage boosters while they head back to Earth.

He did follow up his Tweet with another which said "Stage Zero", but nobody really understands what it means.

Stage Zero

¡ª Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2021

The robotic arms (aka the chopsticks) will be connected to the main tower which will assist in servicing SpaceX's Starships and catching its Super Heavy boosters. The first of these three chopsticks were installed on the launch tower.

Elon Musk did answer a few valid user concerns. Read below:

Hopefully first try with booster 5

¡ª Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2021

Booster has 2 pins for lifting & catching, although maybe it¡¯s better to modify grid fins to take more load.

Something will need to flip out from leeward side of top of ship to do same there. Maybe it¡¯s part of fwd flaps, but prob not.

Diff solutions for diff load paths.

¡ª Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2021

In Musk style, the arm was named "Mechazilla". Musk does not shy away from the absurd, or at least packaging it in a way which attracts confusion and awe at once.

Reuters

Naturally, Twitterverse erupted after Musk's Tweet. Here are a few interesting takes

This is the exciting stuff that makes life worth living. Honestly. How can you not be excited to see something like this happen, and then to live in a world where that¡¯s a reality?!

¡ª Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) August 30, 2021

@elonmusk
We try to catch the smallest flying object in history with robot sticks.
Success is not guaranteed, it is very exciting! pic.twitter.com/XbRm6oktRC

¡ª HOMERMOON TOKEN (@HomermoonT) August 30, 2021

A user seemed angered by the billionaire fixation on space

You¡¯re wasting your time with this outer space crap! How about investing in protecting the earth? Or do you think it¡¯s a lost cause from what I hear recently from you billionaires?

¡ª Ethan Lehmann (@EthanLehmann4) August 30, 2021

Another user extended words of support to Musk & Co

That sounds absolutely insane, but then again so is everything else you guys have ever done, and have successfully pulled it off. A few years ago it was considered insane to land a booster on droneship in the middle of the ocean. SpaceX engineers are awesome!

¡ª Pranay Pathole (@PPathole) August 30, 2021

The tech mogul sent ants, avocados, and a life size robotic arm to the International Space Station on Sunday. The shipment reached ISS on Monday and also carried lemons and ice cream for seven astronauts currently on board the space station.

Are you excited to see Elon Musk's SpaceX carry out this space catch? Let us know in the comments section below, and keep visiting Indiatimes.com for your latest space, science and technology fix.