On Sunday, October 13, 2024, Elon Musk’s SpaceX made history by successfully flying the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket back to the launch pad after a test flight. This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s quest for rapid reusability.
The “super heavy booster” blasted off attached to the uncrewed Starship rocket and made a controlled return to the same pad in Texas, where mechanical “chopsticks” brought it to a halt ¹ ². Following this, the upper stage of Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean, meeting its planned target. Elon Musk celebrated this achievement on X, stating, “Ship landed precisely on target!”
This successful test flight and booster catch have sparked excitement among SpaceX staff and the space community. A SpaceX spokesperson exclaimed, “Folks, this is a day for the engineering history books!” The achievement is particularly significant as it brings SpaceX closer to its goal of developing a reusable spacecraft capable of carrying humans to Mars.
NASA has also taken notice of this achievement, congratulating SpaceX on its successful test. The space agency is eagerly awaiting a modified version of Starship to act as a lander vehicle for crewed flights to the Moon under the Artemis program.
SpaceX engineers spent years preparing for this booster catch attempt, pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the necessary infrastructure. The successful outcome is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
