SpaceX catches Starship's Super Heavy booster after 5th flight test
SpaceX has successfully conducted its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket, a major milestone in space exploration technology. The launch was conducted from the company's facility in Boca Chica, Texas, near the Mexican border. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had initially said it did not expect to issue a modified launch license for this test until late November. However, it surprisingly approved the launch on Saturday.
'Mechazilla' successfully retrieves Super Heavy booster
The highlight of this test flight was the successful retrieval of the returning Super Heavy booster, using mechanical "chopsticks" on the launch tower, a first for SpaceX. These "chopsticks," dubbed "Mechazilla" by SpaceX, were able to catch the Super Heavy booster as it returned to Earth. This innovative approach aims to increase reusability and reduce costs associated with space travel.
Starship's journey and SpaceX's ambitious goals
Now safely in orbit, the Starship will make a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean later today. The Super Heavy booster and its 33 Raptor engines can lift over 200 tons into orbit. "By continuing to push our hardware in a flight environment, and doing so as safely and frequently as possible, we'll rapidly bring Starship online and revolutionize humanity's ability to access space," SpaceX said on X.
New heat shield and future plans
For this mission, the Starship was fitted with a new heat shield made of 18,000 ceramic tiles that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,400 degrees Celsius. Over the past few months, SpaceX engineers have performed several tests on the launch tower and updated the ship's software for reentry. These developments are part of SpaceX's continuous efforts to refine its space exploration tech.
