SpaceX’s Starship: SpaceX launched its Starship rocket in its most daring test flight yet, successfully returning the booster to the pad with the help of mechanical arms. The nearly 400-foot (121 meters) tall Starship was launched at sunrise from the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexico border. Like four previous Starship launches, it followed a curved path over the Gulf of Mexico. However, unlike the others that either exploded shortly after launch or crashed into the sea, this flight was successful.
Rocket Lands Back in 7 Minutes
SpaceX managed to land the first stage booster back on the same pad where it had launched just seven minutes earlier. The launch tower was equipped with large metal arms, called “chopsticks,” to catch the booster. The Starship has 33 Raptor engines. From SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, SpaceX’s Kate Tice said, “This is a big day in engineering history.” The flight director had to decide in real-time whether to attempt the landing or not.
SpaceX Calls It a Historic Day
At SpaceX’s headquarters, Kate Tice added, “Friends, this is a historic day for engineering.” SpaceX explained that both the booster and the launch tower needed to be in perfect condition for the landing to succeed. Otherwise, the result would have been like previous failed launches. During this mission, the Super Heavy booster was brought back from space and safely landed on the tower.
