Starship Launch Tower Successfully Catches Booster

In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, SpaceX successfully caught the Super Heavy booster – in its fifth test flight – using its innovative “Chopsticks” catching mechanism for the first time.

The historic event took place on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 7:25 AM at Starbase, located on Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Millions of viewers tuned in online and in person to witness this landmark moment.

Residents as far as McAllen and Mission, Texas, reported seeing the rocket and feeling the tremors. SpaceX reported that sonic booms could be expected to be felt or heard as the Starship vehicle decelerates from supersonic speeds.

The mission’s primary objective was to achieve the first-ever return of the Super Heavy booster to its launch site, marking a major milestone in SpaceX’s pursuit of fully reusable rocket technology.

“The tower has caught the rocket!!” exclaimed SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk via X, as employees erupted in cheers after the flawless catch. The “Chopsticks,” a pair of mechanical arms attached to the launch tower,  cradled the descending rocket, marking an unprecedented step in rocket recovery.

“Even in this day and age, what we just saw is magic,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot observed from near the launch site.

“Folks, this is a day for the engineering history books,” added SpaceX’s Kate Tice from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.