SPACEX STARSHIP LAUNCH & RECOVERY: A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - In a groundbreaking achievement, SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket and, for the first time, caught the returning Super Heavy booster using its “Chopstick” Mechazilla system. This marks an unprecedented step in the company's mission to develop fully reusable spacecraft parts, a key element in its long-term aspirations to make space travel sustainable and more efficient.

The Super Heavy booster, a 233-foot-tall (71 meters) monster, lifted off at 7:25 a.m. CT (1225 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, during its fifth Starship test flight. The booster carried the second stage, known as the “Ship,” sending it toward space before separating at an altitude of roughly 70 km (40 miles). This stage separation set the booster on a daring return to the launch site—the most critical part of the test flight.

Moments after stage separation, the booster autonomously navigated its way back to the launch site, where the Mechazilla system’s arms caught it in the air—referred to as “chopsticks.” This rocket-catching system, installed atop a tower taller than the Statue of Liberty at over 400 feet (122 meters), replaces the traditional landing apparatus, allowing for quicker turnaround times between launches and minimizing wear and tear on the booster.

The Super Heavy booster re-lit three of its 33 Raptor engines to slow its descent, targeting the launch pad and tower it had originally lifted off from. The tower’s large mechanical arms enclosed the booster, hooking it in place by small bars beneath the forward grid fins that had steered it during descent.

SpaceX has been ahead of its competitors in recovery techniques for years, most notably with the Falcon 9 rockets, which have been successfully landed on floating platforms and concrete pads. However, catching such a large Super Booster represents a monumental achievement in SpaceX’s efforts to reduce costs and eliminate ocean-based landings. This innovation allows SpaceX to maximize the payload capacity of its rockets and streamline the reuse process.

As SpaceX continues to refine its Starship technology, it comes closer to realizing its company's vision of rapid, cost-effective space travel with the potential to unlock interplanetary exploration and enable commercial point-to-point travel around the Earth.