In a groundbreaking fifth test flight on Sunday, SpaceX successfully returned its towering Starship first-stage booster to its launch pad in Texas, marking a significant milestone in the company’s mission to develop a fully reusable spacecraft for lunar and Martian exploration.
The “Super Heavy” booster lifted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility at 7:25 a.m. CT (12:25 GMT), propelling the Starship second stage into the atmosphere. At approximately 70 kilometers (40 miles) altitude, the two stages separated, initiating the most critical phase of the test: the booster’s descent back to Earth.
To ensure a controlled landing, the Super Heavy re-ignited three of its 33 Raptor engines, slowing its rapid descent as it targeted the launch pad from which it had just departed. The launch tower, exceeding 400 feet in height and equipped with two massive mechanical arms, awaited the booster’s return.
As the 233-foot (71 meters) booster descended, it expertly maneuvered into the embrace of the launch tower’s arms, securing itself using small protruding bars located beneath its forward grid fins.
“The tower has caught the rocket!!” announced SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X, prompting cheers from engineers monitoring the live stream of the event.
This innovative catch-landing technique represents a significant step forward in SpaceX’s ongoing test-to-failure development approach for a fully reusable rocket system. The ultimate goal is to facilitate greater cargo transport to orbit, enable human missions to the moon for NASA, and pave the way for future exploration of Mars—Musk’s ultimate vision.
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