On Sunday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test flight, making history by catching a Super Heavy booster with special “Chopstick arms.” The Starship rocket, which is 400 feet tall and the largest rocket in the world, launched from the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas, just after 8 a.m. EDT.
SpaceX announced on social media, “Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster!” after the booster returned safely to the launch site. Elon Musk also celebrated, saying, “The tower has caught the rocket!”
Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria had to be met prior to catching the Super Heavy booster. Thanks to the tireless work of SpaceX engineers, we succeeded with catch on our first attempt. pic.twitter.com/6wa5v6xHI0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
In June, SpaceX had its first successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean with the upper part of the Starship, showing progress in its goal of reusing rockets quickly. The company mentioned that its engineers worked for years and dedicated many hours to prepare for this booster catch, building the necessary infrastructure to improve their chances of success.
Currently, the Starship is in a coast phase, which means it will reenter the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, west of Australia. SpaceX explained that this flight path does not need a special burn for reentry, making it safer for the public while still ensuring a controlled landing in the water.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, congratulated SpaceX on its success. Blue Origin is also preparing to launch its second human-rated spacecraft, which was delayed due to technical issues. This new spacecraft, called New Shepard, includes a booster known as Booster 5 and a crew capsule named RSS Karman Line, named after the boundary of space.
The tower has caught the rocket!!
pic.twitter.com/CPXsHJBdUh— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 13, 2024
Alongside, Google‘s CEO Sundar Pichai celebrated SpaceX’s achievement in response to Elon’s post on X, commenting, “Huge congrats! I have to admit, I rewatched the video many times—it’s incredible to see!”
The upcoming NS-27 mission will not carry people but will transport 12 research payloads. Some of these payloads include new navigation systems for the New Shepard and Blue Origin’s larger New Glenn rocket, as well as two LIDAR sensors designed for use on the Moon.
Elon shows Chopsticks tower in action vs traditional landing:
Elon Musk recently shared a compelling video showcasing the advancements in SpaceX’s rocket recovery technology. The clip compares the innovative rocket catching tower method to the traditional approach of landing rockets on solid ground, highlighting the efficiency and precision of the new system.
With the tower designed to catch rockets mid-air as they descend, this technique significantly reduces landing stress and increases turnaround speed for future missions.
The video serves as a testament to SpaceX’s commitment to revolutionizing space travel and underscores the company’s leadership in aerospace innovation, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient space exploration.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2024