For the first time, SpaceX has caught a rocket booster in mid-air as it returned to Earth.
The Starship rocket, launched from Texas, successfully separated from its lower section, called the booster, which was then gently guided back to the launch pad by a pair of mechanical arms. This major achievement moves the company closer to building reusable rockets.
Starship lifted off from Boca Chica Beach for its fifth test flight and exited the Earth’s atmosphere. About three minutes later, the Super Heavy booster separated and began its controlled return. Engineers slowed the booster, which had been traveling over 11265 km per hour, and guided it back using special engines. When it neared the 146-meter landing tower, the booster was caught mid-air, much like catching an object with chopsticks.
The top part of the rocket, called the Ship, continued on and landed in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated the accomplishment, marking it as an important step toward making reusable rockets that could one day take humans to the Moon and Mars. NASA has already invested over 4.2 billion in SpaceX to help land astronauts on the Moon by 2026.
