SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot expressed his amazement during a company webcast, stating, “What we just saw, that looked like magic.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also praised SpaceX on social media, noting, “As we prepare to go back to the Moon under Artemis, continued testing will prepare us for the bold missions that lie ahead.”
In its fifth flight, the Starship successfully separated and traveled halfway around the Earth before reentering the atmosphere and landing in the Indian Ocean as planned. This flight did not carry any crew, as SpaceX intends to conduct numerous missions with Starship before launching with astronauts on board.
The full Starship system has previously completed four test flights in April and November of last year, as well as in March and June of this year. Each flight has achieved more significant milestones than the last, with SpaceX emphasizing its learning-based approach to rocket development.
Designed to be fully reusable, the Starship aims to provide a new means of transporting cargo and people beyond Earth. It plays a key role in NASA’s strategy to return astronauts to the Moon, as SpaceX has secured a multibillion-dollar contract to utilize Starship as a crewed lunar lander under NASA’s Artemis program.
The Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX a launch license for this fifth flight, earlier than its initial timeline. Despite some delays attributed to environmental reviews, the FAA, alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, expedited assessments. However, SpaceX has faced fines related to unauthorized water discharges at its Texas launch facility.
With the successful booster recovery, SpaceX has set new records, surpassing the achievements of the previous test flight. The company executed its goal of returning the booster to the launch site, employing the “chopstick” arms on the launch tower to catch the vehicle. This catch mechanism is viewed as crucial for SpaceX’s aim of achieving full rocket reusability. “SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians dedicating tens of thousands of hours to build the infrastructure necessary for success,” the company stated on its website.