BREAKING: SpaceX catches giant Starship booster during historic Flight 5 rocket launch and landing (video)

"Mechazilla" catches the Super Heavy Booster on its first-ever attempt, surprising even top SpaceX execs.

by Mike Wall
Space.com
October 13, 2024

The biggest and most powerful rocket ever built has taken to the skies again. And this time, it came back.

SpaceX launched its 400-foot-tall (122 meters) Starship vehicle for the fifth time ever today (Oct. 13), sending the giant rocket aloft from its Starbase site in South Texas at 8:25 am. EDT (1225 GMT).

The mission aimed to break new ground for Starship, and for spaceflight in general: SpaceX planned to return Starship's huge first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, directly to its launch mount, catching it with the "chopstick" arms of the launch tower in a bold and unprecedented maneuver. And that's exactly what happened. About seven minutes after liftoff, SpaceX's Super Heavy executed what appeared to be a bull's-eye landing, hovering near the Mechazilla launch tower as the tower captured it with its metal arms.