Starship, SpaceX’s largest rocket, has recorded its first successful return to Earth. On Sunday, October 13, the rocket made its fifth test flight and the first successful return of the Super Heavy booster to the launch pad.
The Super Heavy booster detached safely after the rocket’s lift-off and lowered itself precisely to the launch pad. The Starship launch system consists of two primary components: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. “The tower caught the rocket!!!” – wrote SpaceX owner Elon Musk on social media platform X. “It’s science fiction, without the fiction part,” he added.
Starship took off from its base in Boca Chica, USA. It was the fifth test of SpaceX’s two-stage, 121-meter-long megarocket. Previous tests, with the exception of the last one, ended with ship explosions immediately after launch or when attempting to land.
