On October 13, SpaceX made a stunning breakthrough by successfully capturing the booster stage of its Starship rocket using innovative robotic arms , a crucial step on its path to full rocket reusability. The event took place at the facility in Boca Chica, Texas, marking the end of an unprecedented test flight.
SpaceX captures Starship rocket with robotic arms
The 230-foot-tall Super Heavy rocket lifted off at 7:25 a.m. local time and after separating at an altitude of 40 miles (65 kilometers), the upper stage reached a blistering speed of 17,000 miles per hour . As the spacecraft ‘s upper stage splashed down in the Indian Ocean, the booster was captured in mid-air by the mechanical arms, a structure known as “Mechazilla.”
The success of this maneuver, described as “magical” by the team members themselves, occurs on the fifth test flight of the Starship . This fact highlights the progress in Elon Musk’s ambition to make rockets completely reusable for missions beyond Earth, including destinations such as the Moon and Mars.
Former astronaut Chris Hadfield was quick to congratulate the team, stressing the importance of this success as a “major step towards the future of humanity.” Indeed, the technology developed by the company has caught the attention of aerospace experts and raised expectations for the company’s next achievements.
Elon Musk celebrates perfect rocket landing
The most spectacular moment of the flight was when the descending rocket managed to reactivate its Raptor engines, maneuvering itself into position to be caught by the launch tower’s robotic arms. This innovation is intended to eliminate the need for conventional landings, potentially reducing costs and preparation time for future missions.
Meanwhile, Starship ‘s upper stage re-entered Earth’s atmosphere with enhanced thermal protection that easily withstood the heat generated during re-entry. Although splashdown was successful, cameras showed an explosion at the impact site, which is still being investigated to see if it was a controlled detonation or a technical failure.
Elon Musk was satisfied, confirming that the rocket landed “exactly where planned.” The company is now focusing on fine-tuning details for its next tests and consolidating its plans to take humans to Mars in the near future.
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Source: The Guardian
Photos: SpaceX via X