Insider Brief
- SpaceX has successfully completed its fifth Starship test flight which included a dramatic and innovative recovery of the first stage Super Heavy booster using giant mechanical arms to “catch” it.
- After lifting off and carrying the Starship second stage into space, the Super Heavy booster separated and targeted the 400-foot launch tower, successfully maneuvering into place, where the tower’s mechanical arms caught it.
- This catch marks a milestone in the development of a fully reusable system, crucial for future space exploration missions and NASA’s moon landings.
- While the booster returned to its launch site, the second stage Starship continued its journey. The spacecraft cruised toward the Indian Ocean near Australia, performing a controlled splashdown after reentering Earth’s atmosphere. Despite a successful descent and upright landing, the Starship exploded shortly after touchdown.
In a landmark moment for SpaceX, the company successfully completed its fifth Starship test flight on October 13, 2024, marking a significant step toward reusable space vehicles. The flight featured a dramatic and innovative recovery of the first stage Super Heavy booster using giant mechanical arms to catch it, a novel engineering technique that aligns with SpaceX’s goal of creating a fully reusable rocket system for moon and Mars missions.
Lifting off at 7:25 a.m. CT from Boca Chica, Texas, the Super Heavy booster carried the Starship second stage into space before separating at roughly 70 km altitude. Following the separation, the booster began its descent back to the launch site, a daring move that involved re-lighting three of its 33 Raptor engines to slow its fall. Targeting the launch tower, which stands over 400 feet tall, the booster successfully maneuvered into place, where the tower’s mechanical arms caught it.
SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, confirmed the successful catch with an excited post on X (formerly Twitter), while SpaceX engineers celebrated the achievement on the company’s live stream. This catch marks a milestone in the development of a fully reusable system, crucial for future space exploration missions and NASA’s moon landings.
While the booster returned to its launch site, the second stage Starship continued its journey, reaching speeds of 17,000 miles per hour at an altitude of 89 miles. The spacecraft cruised toward the Indian Ocean near Australia, performing a controlled splashdown after reentering Earth’s atmosphere. Despite a successful descent and upright landing, the Starship exploded shortly after touchdown. It is not yet clear whether the explosion was a planned event or caused by a malfunction.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the test launch after resolving delays related to regulatory approvals. SpaceX continues to push boundaries with its test-to-failure approach, bringing the company closer to realizing its vision of interplanetary travel.
Image credit: SpaceX via X
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