MILAN — SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship vehicle on October 13, achieving an unprecedented recovery of its Super Heavy booster at the launch site. The launch occurred at 8:25 a.m. Eastern from the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, during a mission referred to as Flight 5.
The key improvement for this flight was SpaceX’s effort to recover the Super Heavy booster by having it return to the launch site, where it would be captured by two mechanical arms, often referred to as “chopsticks,” attached to the launch tower. This required the booster to execute precise maneuvers to guide it back to the pad.
Booster 12 successfully completed this task, descending onto the launch pad, where the arms secured it just below the grid fins approximately seven minutes after launch. This successful return and landing are crucial for SpaceX’s plans for rapid reflight, allowing for a quick turnaround of the booster with a Starship attached for future missions.
The success of the catch seemed to astonish even SpaceX leaders. Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president and COO, expressed her excitement on social media, sharing a video of the landing. Before the launch, Bill Gerstenmaier, the vice president of build and flight reliability, had expressed confidence about the booster’s return, noting the previous successful landing accuracy.
The Starship vehicle, designated Ship 30, flew on a suborbital path similar to a prior flight in June and reached a maximum altitude of 212 kilometers. It appeared to endure reentry more effectively than before; SpaceX had made upgrades to its heat shield. Approximately 66 minutes after launch, the vehicle made a powered descent into the Indian Ocean, where it was not intended to be recovered, resulting in an explosion shortly after hitting the water.
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s CEO, confirmed the success of the mission, celebrating the precise landing of Ship 30 and the achievement of the second mission objective.
The launch followed closely on the heels of the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a revised launch license just a day prior. This updated license was contentious amid delays, as SpaceX was initially informed that the license would not be issued until late November.
The license revision required changes to an environmental assessment due to alterations in the flight profile, which included a larger area where components might land in the Gulf of Mexico and a sonic boom analysis for the returning booster. The completed environmental assessment concluded that no significant damage or adverse impacts to the Gulf of Mexico’s biological resources were anticipated from the changes.
Despite the overall positive findings, the assessment included conditions regarding Starship launches at Boca Chica. This involved field studies to understand the impact of gravel plumes and monitoring the effects on local bird populations. SpaceX is also required to provide annual certification of its adherence to all environmental regulations.
The licensing process has faced scrutiny over SpaceX’s compliance, particularly concerning the permitting of a water deluge system at the launch pad, which led to the company agreeing to a substantial fine from the Environmental Protection Agency. While dealing with those issues, SpaceX noted it was compliant with Texas state regulations.
The revised license permits SpaceX to conduct one more flight, known as Flight 6, using the same launch profile without needing further authorization from the FAA. The agency confirmed that the adjustments requested for Flight 6 fell within previously analyzed parameters. However, specific details on these changes were not disclosed.