SpaceX made history on Sunday morning as their Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch pad after liftoff and was caught by the mechanical arms of the launch tower, marking a major milestone for the rocket’s reusability. This momentous achievement occurred during the fifth flight of the company’s Starship, which launched from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas at 8:25AM ET. While SpaceX is no stranger to landing rockets, having reused their Falcon 9 multiple times, the re-capture of the Super Heavy booster required a unique approach as it navigated through the narrow opening between the launch towers’ “chopsticks” without causing damage. The successful return of the booster was met with thunderous cheers from spectators in the viewing room, as live footage captured the impressive feat. As Starship continued its flight and eventually splashed down in the Indian Ocean at 9:30AM ET, the entire transportation system, comprising the Super Heavy first stage and the Starship second stage, proved to be reusable in its design.
