On Sunday, SpaceX successfully flew the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket back to the launch pad after a test flight, marking a significant achievement in the company’s pursuit of rapid reusability.
The “Super Heavy booster” launched alongside the uncrewed Starship rocket minutes earlier before making a flawless controlled return to the same Texas pad. A pair of massive mechanical “chopsticks” extended from the launch tower to catch the slowly descending booster, bringing it to a safe stop, as showcased in a livestream from Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Shortly afterward, the upper stage of Starship successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean, a development that Elon Musk celebrated on X. “The ship landed precisely on target!” he exclaimed about the vehicle’s fifth test flight, stating, “Second of the two objectives achieved.”
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/6R5YatSVJX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
The successful capture of the booster at the Texas launch pad prompted cheers from SpaceX staff. “Folks, this is a day for the engineering history books,” a SpaceX spokesperson declared during the company’s livestream.
Liftoff took place at 7:25 AM (1225 GMT) under clear weather conditions from the SpaceX facility in southern Texas. In its previous flight in June, SpaceX achieved its first successful splashdown with Starship, a prototype spacecraft that Musk envisions will one day transport humans to Mars.
NASA, the US space agency, congratulated SpaceX on its successful test and is eagerly awaiting a modified version of Starship to serve as a lander for crewed missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis program later this decade.
SpaceX stated that its engineers have “spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt,” with technicians dedicating tens of thousands of hours to constructing the infrastructure needed to maximize their chances of success. Teams monitored to ensure that “thousands” of criteria were met, both on the vehicle and at the launch tower, before attempting to return the booster.
If those conditions hadn’t been met, the booster would have been redirected for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, as in previous tests. However, after receiving the green light, the returning booster decelerated from supersonic speeds, and the powerful “chopstick arms” embraced it.
‘Fail Fast, Learn Fast’
The large mechanical arms, dubbed “Mechazilla” by Musk, have generated significant excitement among space enthusiasts. Video footage shared by SpaceX showed the booster slowly descending, its bottom wobbling slightly as some of its 33 powerful engines adjusted its descent until the arms gently closed around it, securing the massive device above the ground.
Standing at 397 feet (121 meters) tall when both stages are combined, Starship is about 90 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. Its Super Heavy booster, measuring 233 feet tall, generates 16.7 million pounds (74.3 Meganewtons) of thrust—about twice as powerful as the Saturn V rockets used during the Apollo missions.
SpaceX’s “fail fast, learn fast” approach to rapid iterative testing—despite the risk of spectacular rocket explosions—has ultimately accelerated development and contributed to the company’s success. Founded in 2002, SpaceX quickly surpassed aerospace industry giants to become the world leader in orbital launches, also providing the only US spacecraft currently certified to carry astronauts.
Additionally, SpaceX has established the world’s largest internet satellite constellation, which is invaluable in disaster and war zones. However, Musk’s vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species is increasingly at risk of being overshadowed by his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and alignment with right-wing politics.
An energized Musk, wearing an “Occupy Mars” T-shirt, was recently seen alongside Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. The company has also been publicly clashing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over launch licensing and alleged violations, with Musk accusing the agency of overreach and calling for its chief, Michael Whitaker, to resign.
“He’s trying to position himself for minimal regulatory interference with SpaceX once Donald Trump becomes president,” said Mark Hass, a marketing expert and professor at Arizona State University. “But it’s a calculated gamble if things go the other way.”