Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket, the Starship, has accomplished a significant historical first. When the rocket returned to the launch pad after its sixth test flight, the Super Heavy booster—the bottom half of the rocket—was successfully grasped by two enormous mechanical arms. This accomplishment is a major step toward SpaceX’s objective of developing a rocket system that is quickly deployable and totally reusable.
SpaceX engineers applauded when the booster landed back next to its launch tower in Boca Chica, Texas, calling it “a day for the history books.” The successful capture is all the more impressive considering that the crew had planned for the possibility of having the booster land in the Gulf of Mexico prior to launch.
This accomplishment follows only eighteen months after Starship’s first flight, which ended in failure shortly after launch. SpaceX views these setbacks as essential to its development strategy, using them to gather data and accelerate progress. The company’s approach to test and fail fast is designed to outpace its competitors.
As the booster returned, its raptor engines controlled the descent, slowing from speeds of thousands of miles per hour before smoothly slotting into the launch tower’s arms. This method of catching the booster reduces the need for complex ground hardware, paving the way for faster rocket redeployment.
The upper part of the Starship, designed to carry equipment and crew, successfully landed in the Indian Ocean shortly after separating from the booster. Elon Musk celebrated on X, stating, “Ship landed precisely on target! Second of the two objectives achieved.”
Beyond these test flights, SpaceX intends to deploy Starship for lunar trips by 2026 and, with NASA’s $2.8 billion contract in support, for potential human expeditions to Mars. Regulating obstacles still exist, though, as SpaceX continues its ground-breaking space research adventure while coming under fire from the FAA for environmental violations and license violations.