The Starship rocketsuccessfully landed for the first time on its return to the launch pad.
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The lower half of the SpaceX vehicle maneuvered back into the launch tower, where it was caught in a giant pair of mechanical arms, as part of its fifth test flight.
This success brings SpaceX's ambition of developing a fully reusable and rapidly deployable rocket one step closer.
The chances of the lower part of the rocket, known as the Super Heavy booster, catching on so well on the first try seemed slim. Before the launch, the SpaceX team said it wouldn't be surprised if the booster was instead headed for a landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX can now point to some remarkable achievements in its two previous test flights. This comes just eighteen months after its inaugural flight, in which the vehicle broke up shortly after launch.
SpaceX argues that these failures are also part of its development plan – to launch early with the expectation of failure so that it can collect as much data and develop its systems faster than its competitors.
The initial stages of the fifth test launch were the same as the previous one, with the Starship and booster separating about three minutes after leaving the ground.
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At this point the booster began heading back towards the launch site at Boca Chica in Texas.
With just two minutes left until landing, it was still unclear whether the attempt would go through as final checks were carried out by the tower crew. When the flight director gave the go-ahead, cheers erupted from SpaceX employees in mission control. The company had said thousands of criteria had to be met for the attempt to go through.
As the Super Heavy booster re-entered the atmosphere, it slowed from speeds in excess of a few thousand miles per hour. As it approached the landing tower, which is 146 meters tall, its arms worked to control its landing. It seemed to almost float, orange flames engulfing the booster, and it was deftly caught by the giant mechanical arms.
The rocket's launch vehicle, which will eventually house the equipment and crew on future missions, fired its own engines after separating from the booster. It landed successfully in the Indian Ocean about forty minutes later.
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Not only did Starship land with precision, but SpaceX also managed to preserve some of the vehicle's hardware, which was unexpected.
Source: BBC
