02:30Mandatory credit: SpaceX
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched their fifth Starship flight test which saw an unprecedented mid-air booster catch in Boca Chica, Texas on Sunday.
Footage shows the spacecraft taking off and flying through space before making a splashdown landing in the Indian Ocean over an hour after its launch. Footage also shows the rocket's first stage booster 'Super Heavy' being caught mid-air upon its return to the launch site by what Space X has referred to as 'Mechazilla'.
The rocket was launched at 7:25 local time (12:25 GMT) and was flying over the Gulf of Mexico for approximately seven minutes. The Super Heavy booster reportedly separated from the Starship at an altitude of approximately 70 kilometres.
According to SpaceX, this launch aimed to advance the company's reusable space technology. The flight test's main goals included the "first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster." Additionally, the test focused on executing another controlled reentry and landing burn of Starship.
Following the test, SpaceX congratulated the entire team on an 'exciting' fifth flight on its official X account, formerly Twitter.
The Starship Flight Test 4 saw the first ever booster soft-landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous test also saw the spacecraft make what SpaceX called 'a brilliant reentry'. All previous test flights had exploded.
SpaceX launches fifth Starship flight test, accomplishes unprecedented mid-air Super Heavy booster catch
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched their fifth Starship flight test which saw an unprecedented mid-air booster catch in Boca Chica, Texas on Sunday.
Footage shows the spacecraft taking off and flying through space before making a splashdown landing in the Indian Ocean over an hour after its launch. Footage also shows the rocket's first stage booster 'Super Heavy' being caught mid-air upon its return to the launch site by what Space X has referred to as 'Mechazilla'.
The rocket was launched at 7:25 local time (12:25 GMT) and was flying over the Gulf of Mexico for approximately seven minutes. The Super Heavy booster reportedly separated from the Starship at an altitude of approximately 70 kilometres.
According to SpaceX, this launch aimed to advance the company's reusable space technology. The flight test's main goals included the "first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster." Additionally, the test focused on executing another controlled reentry and landing burn of Starship.
Following the test, SpaceX congratulated the entire team on an 'exciting' fifth flight on its official X account, formerly Twitter.
The Starship Flight Test 4 saw the first ever booster soft-landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous test also saw the spacecraft make what SpaceX called 'a brilliant reentry'. All previous test flights had exploded.
Mandatory credit: SpaceX
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched their fifth Starship flight test which saw an unprecedented mid-air booster catch in Boca Chica, Texas on Sunday.
Footage shows the spacecraft taking off and flying through space before making a splashdown landing in the Indian Ocean over an hour after its launch. Footage also shows the rocket's first stage booster 'Super Heavy' being caught mid-air upon its return to the launch site by what Space X has referred to as 'Mechazilla'.
The rocket was launched at 7:25 local time (12:25 GMT) and was flying over the Gulf of Mexico for approximately seven minutes. The Super Heavy booster reportedly separated from the Starship at an altitude of approximately 70 kilometres.
According to SpaceX, this launch aimed to advance the company's reusable space technology. The flight test's main goals included the "first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster." Additionally, the test focused on executing another controlled reentry and landing burn of Starship.
Following the test, SpaceX congratulated the entire team on an 'exciting' fifth flight on its official X account, formerly Twitter.
The Starship Flight Test 4 saw the first ever booster soft-landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous test also saw the spacecraft make what SpaceX called 'a brilliant reentry'. All previous test flights had exploded.