Starship’s Fifth Test Launch Marks First Successful 'Capture' of Booster Rocket
SpaceX conducted the fifth test launch of its Starship spacecraft in Texas, USA. After liftoff, the launch pad successfully recovered the booster rocket, and Starship later splashed down in the Indian Ocean. The method of recovering the booster rocket using the launch pad was truly unprecedented!
According to foreign media reports, this test flight marked the first time the Super Heavy booster rocket was "returned" to the launch site. About seven minutes after liftoff, the booster rocket returned to the launch tower, where it was "caught" mid-air by the tower’s mechanical arms. Additionally, about an hour after liftoff, Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean, concluding the mission.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, stated that the primary goal of this test was to capture the booster rocket and have Starship re-enter the atmosphere for landing, which ultimately ended with a planned splashdown. It is reported that the previous three Starship test launches ended in failure, with the most recent in June 2024, when Starship was already able to splash down in the Indian Ocean as planned.
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