SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship test flight and made a dramatic first catch of the rocket’s booster at its Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration issued SpaceX a license to launch sooner than expected, with no people on board. Previous test flights have achieved significant milestones, with the most recent flight in June marking the first controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX aims to fly hundreds of Starship missions before any crewed launches, with the rocket critical to NASA’s Artemis moon program. The company faced delays due to environmental assessments but ultimately succeeded in catching the booster on the launch tower’s arms, a crucial step towards making the rocket fully reusable. This catch approach requires meeting thousands of criteria and ensures safety for the public and SpaceX’s team. The Starship rocket is the tallest and most powerful ever launched, with the Super Heavy booster generating 16.7 million pounds of thrust and Starship standing at 165 feet tall with six Raptor engines. Overall, SpaceX is working towards revolutionizing space travel with the Starship system, which aims to fly cargo and people beyond Earth and support future space exploration missions.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
Starship rocket booster successfully captured by SpaceX during dramatic landing on fifth test flight
