SpaceX successfully conducted its most ambitious test flight of the Starship rocket on Sunday, managing to capture the returning booster at the launch pad with mechanical arms.
Elon Musk celebrated the milestone, describing it as “science fiction without the fiction part.”
Standing at nearly 400 feet (121 meters), the empty Starship rocket launched at sunrise from southern Texas, near the Mexican border. It flew over the Gulf of Mexico, echoing the paths of four earlier Starship flights that ended in destruction soon after takeoff or while landing in the sea. The last flight in June was previously the most successful, completing its mission without exploding.
For this flight, Musk raised the stakes, aiming to utilize the rocket for future missions back to the moon and beyond to Mars.
After the flight director’s command, the first-stage booster returned to the launch pad seven minutes after liftoff. The launch tower’s impressive mechanical arms, known as chopsticks, successfully caught the descending 232-foot (71-meter) stainless steel booster, holding it securely above the ground.
“The tower has caught the rocket!!” Musk shared on X, emphasizing the progress made towards enabling human life on multiple planets.
Employees at SpaceX erupted in celebration, with many jumping and cheering. NASA also joined in the festivities, with Administrator Bill Nelson expressing his congratulations.
NASA noted that ongoing Starship testing is crucial for future lunar missions, especially those targeting the moon’s south pole, as part of the Artemis program, a sequel to the historic Apollo missions.
“Today marks a significant moment in engineering history,” remarked SpaceX engineering manager Kate Tice from the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
“This is pure magic, even in modern times,” added company spokesman Dan Huot from the launch site, clearly overwhelmed by the event.
The decision to attempt the landing was left to the flight director, who assessed the conditions in real-time. SpaceX indicated that both the booster and launch tower needed to be stable for a successful capture, which they determined to be the case.
Once the booster was released, the retro-designed spacecraft on top continued its journey around the globe, landing one hour later in the Indian Ocean and contributing to the day’s successes. Footage from a nearby buoy recorded the booster hitting its target area precisely and sinking as intended.
“What a day,” Huot remarked, expressing excitement for future missions.
The June flight faced challenges towards the end, with parts detaching. Following that, SpaceX upgraded the flight software and reinforced the heat shield, improving the thermal tiles.
For nine years, SpaceX has successfully recovered the first-stage boosters of its smaller Falcon 9 rockets, which have launched satellites and crew from Florida and California. However, those land on floating platforms or concrete slabs, not directly on the launch site.
Recovering Falcon boosters has significantly increased launch efficiency and saved SpaceX substantial costs. Musk aims to achieve the same outcomes with Starship, the most powerful rocket ever constructed, featuring 33 methane-fueled engines on the booster.
Musk noted that the captured booster appeared to be in good condition, with only minor warping on some outer engines due to heat and aerodynamic stresses, which he indicated could be easily addressed.
NASA has ordered two Starships to facilitate astronaut landings on the moon later this decade. SpaceX plans to utilize Starship for carrying personnel and supplies to the moon and, eventually, Mars.