SpaceX conducted its most daring test flight yet of the massive Starship rocket on Sunday, successfully catching the returning booster at the launch pad using mechanical arms.
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Elon Musk, thrilled with the accomplishment, described it as “science fiction without the fiction.”
Standing nearly 400 feet (121 meters) tall, the uncrewed Starship launched at sunrise from the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexican border. Like the previous four Starships that were destroyed either after liftoff or during their descent into the sea, this one soared over the Gulf of Mexico. However, unlike its predecessors, this test flight, the most successful since June, was completed without exploding.
Musk, SpaceX’s CEO and founder, pushed the boundaries further this time for the rocket that he envisions as the vehicle to send humans to the moon and eventually to Mars.
Following the flight director’s command, the first-stage booster returned to the launch pad seven minutes after liftoff. The launch tower’s massive metal arms, referred to as “chopsticks,” successfully caught the 232-foot (71-meter) stainless steel booster, holding it securely in midair.
“The tower has caught the rocket!” Musk excitedly shared on X. “A major step toward making life multi-planetary was made today.”
SpaceX employees celebrated exuberantly, cheering, jumping, and fist-pumping. NASA also congratulated SpaceX, with Administrator Bill Nelson highlighting the significance of this test in preparing for the eventual moon landing as part of NASA’s Artemis program—a continuation of the Apollo missions that landed 12 men on the moon more than 50 years ago.
“This is one for the engineering history books,” remarked Kate Tice, SpaceX engineering manager, at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
“What we just witnessed is magic, even today,” added company spokesman Dan Huot from the launch site. “I’m still shaking.”
The flight director had the real-time responsibility to decide whether to attempt the landing, as both the booster and launch tower had to be in stable condition. Once everything was deemed ready, the catch was executed flawlessly.
Meanwhile, the spacecraft carried by the booster continued its journey around Earth, reaching an altitude of over 130 miles (212 kilometers). An hour after launch, it executed a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean, with cameras capturing flames erupting from the water as it impacted its target and sank as planned.
“What a day,” Huot said. “On to the next one.”
The previous June flight had experienced some issues, with parts coming loose near the end. In response, SpaceX upgraded the software and improved the heat shield’s thermal tiles.
For nearly a decade, SpaceX has been recovering the first-stage boosters of its smaller Falcon 9 rockets, which deliver satellites and crews to orbit. However, these land on floating ocean platforms or concrete slabs a few miles away from the launch site—never directly on the launch pad itself.
By reusing Falcon boosters, SpaceX has accelerated its launch schedule and saved millions. Musk aims to do the same with Starship, which is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, featuring 33 methane-fueled engines on its booster.
Musk noted that despite some minor warping on the outer engines due to heat and aerodynamic forces, the Starship booster was in good condition and easily repairable.
NASA has contracted two Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade, while SpaceX plans to use the spacecraft for future missions to the moon and eventually Mars.
