SpaceX launched its fifth Starship test flight from Texas which successfully brought the rocket’s first stage booster for the first time on land by a new method involving large metal arms.
According to Al Jazeera, the rocket’s heavy first-stage booster took off on Sunday, October 13, at 7:25 a.m. (12:25 GMT) from SpaceX’s launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
The booster sent the second-stage rocket into the space, aiming towards the Indian Ocean, where it will re-enter the atmosphere.
After the Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship at an altitude of 74 km, it returned back to its original launch site to make its landing attempt. This was assisted by two robotic arms.
The founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, posted on X, “The tower has caught the rocket!!”
Musk also increased the risk this time as compared to the previous four destroyed Starships, but it returned seven minutes earlier to the launching pad.
“This is a day for the engineering history books,” SpaceX’s Kate Tice posted from headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
SpaceX’s Dan Huot showed excitement stating, “Are you kidding me, I am shaking right now.”
As per SpaceX, the engineers have spent years testing for booster, while technicians poured thousands of hours building the infrastructure just to experience success.
