In a groundbreaking achievement, SpaceX successfully launched its massive Super Heavy-Starship rocket on an unpiloted test flight on Sunday, marking a major step towards fully reusable space travel. The highlight of the mission was the unprecedented capture of the first stage booster by SpaceX's "mechazilla" arms, an engineering feat never before accomplished.
The 397-foot-tall rocket took off from Boca Chica, Texas, powered by 33 methane-burning Raptor engines. Three minutes into the flight, the Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship upper stage and began its descent back to the launch pad.
Using giant mechanical arms, known as "chopsticks," SpaceX successfully caught the booster in mid-air, a key step in making rockets reusable.
Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage orbited the planet and re-entered the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft endured temperatures up to 3,000 degrees during re-entry but performed well, thanks to improved heat-shield tiles and steering fins. It splashed down in the ocean, marking a successful test of its durability.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk celebrated the achievement on social media, calling it a "big step towards making life multiplanetary." The mission is part of SpaceX's plan to create rockets that can be quickly re-launched, which is crucial for future missions to the moon and Mars.
While Sunday's test flight was a success, more tests are needed before the rocket system is ready for manned missions. The Federal Aviation Administration granted a launch licence just a day before, covering multiple test flights as SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration.
