SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship vehicle on October 13, achieving a groundbreaking “catch” of its Super Heavy booster back at the launch site. The Starship/Super Heavy vehicle took off from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. Eastern Time.
This mission, referred to as Flight 5 by SpaceX, featured a significant upgrade aimed at recovering the Super Heavy booster by guiding it back to the launch pad. The recovery involved two mechanical arms, often called “chopsticks,” that cradled the booster upon its return. The booster, designated Booster 12, executed accurate boostback and landing maneuvers to ensure a safe return. Approximately seven minutes after launch, the arms successfully secured the booster just below its grid fins.
The ability to return and land on the launch pad is vital for SpaceX’s aspirations of enabling rapid reflight of its vehicles. The company’s goal is to have a landed booster ready for its next mission, with a Starship affixed, within days or even hours. This remarkable achievement impressed even SpaceX leadership; Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president and COO, expressed her astonishment on social media, sharing a video of the landing.
Ahead of the launch, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability, expressed confidence about the catch attempt, citing their previous successful landing accuracy in the ocean.
The Starship vehicle, Ship 30, followed a suborbital trajectory similar to a June flight, reaching a peak altitude of 212 kilometers. It appeared to withstand reentry better than in the previous attempt, thanks to enhancements made to its heatshield. Following the flight, the vehicle made a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean nearly 66 minutes after liftoff. Though not designed for recovery, it exploded shortly after landing.
The launch came less than a day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a revised license for the mission, following a lengthy period of uncertainty. SpaceX had previously been informed that the updated license would not be ready until late November. The revised license entailed changes in environmental assessments due to updates in the flight profile, such as a broader area for dropped debris in the Gulf of Mexico and a sonic boom analysis for the returning booster.
The recent environmental evaluation found no anticipated significant impacts on structures or biological resources in the Gulf. However, it included conditions to assess the impacts of launches on local wildlife, particularly birds, and required annual compliance certifications from SpaceX related to environmental regulations.
SpaceX’s adherence to environmental laws has faced scrutiny, notably regarding a water deluge system at the launch pad, which led to a nearly $150,000 fine from the EPA. Despite this, the company maintained it had a permit from Texas authorities.
The newly revised license permits SpaceX to carry out at least one additional launch, termed Flight 6, under the same flight profile without requiring new FAA approval. The FAA confirmed that the adjustments requested for this upcoming mission remained within the previously analyzed scope.