This Sunday, SpaceX successfully completed the fifth test flight of the Starship. However, the true highlights were the Super Heavy rocket and the Mechazilla tower. For the first time, Elon Musk’s company managed to catch the booster in the air after it separated from the ship and began its return to the launch pad.
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SpaceX conducted a new Starship launch after receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yesterday. The American authorities were expected to allow a takeoff in November, but the aerospace company sped up preparations to make it happen sooner.
Starship lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. Eastern Time, and the most exciting moment occurred after it separated from the Super Heavy. The rocket began its re-entry procedure, and just under 7 minutes after takeoff, it achieved what once seemed impossible: it slowed its descent and approached Mechazilla, SpaceX’s launch and capture tower. Mechazilla caught the rocket in the air using two mechanical arms, which the company calls “chopsticks.”
Mechazilla has successfully caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/6R5YatSVJX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
The scene quickly spread around the world. On its first attempt, SpaceX successfully captured the massive Super Heavy rocket in the air. This achievement is not only impressive in itself, but also important because tests of this kind and complexity often face critical failures on their first try. For example, Starship exploded during SpaceX’s first orbital flight attempt in 2023.
The Super Heavy and Mechazilla tower were the stars of the Starship launch!
While the descent and capture of the Super Heavy using the Mechazilla tower have attracted a lot of attention, SpaceX achieved a significant milestone with this fifth Starship launch. The ship maintained its trajectory and flew under its own power until it re-entered the atmosphere and made a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Moments after the vehicle submerged, the live broadcast showed it exploding.
Capturing the Super Heavy mid-descent is crucial for SpaceX’s future and is a key step in its strategy to reuse rockets and spacecraft. It’s important to note that the Mechazilla tower was designed not only to catch rockets before they land but also to catch the Starship. The company likely plans to test this capability in the coming months.
Elon Musk showcased the finished version of Mechazilla in early 2022, but its robotic grippers had not been tested until now. It’s important to note that the Super Heavy rocket, like the Starship, does not have landing legs, unlike the Falcon Heavy. This design choice has helped SpaceX save weight for launch, but it has also required a more complex solution with the capture tower.
Another key aspect is that SpaceX aims to speed up the launch and return process for both the Starship and the Super Heavy rocket through Mechazilla. According to Musk’s predictions at the time, this could reduce the wait time between launches to less than an hour.