space x caught a rocket A booster is placed on the Texas launch pad as it returns to Earth on Sunday.
The tower's chopstick-like arms, called “Mechazilla,” grabbed the 232-foot-tall booster as it descended after a seven-minute flight.
SpaceX CEO and tech billionaire Elon MuskIt looked like he was enjoying catching the booster,At X, he said, “Today, we have taken a major step towards making life multi-planetary.'' The company's COO, Gwynne Shotwell, also seemed excited about the achievement and posted a video of it.event and say she didn't“I know what to say!”
The booster is part of Starship, which SpaceX calls “the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.” According toto the companythe super heavy booster is one of the two main parts of the starship, the other being the starship spacecraft.
On this flight, the spacecraft continued flying after separating from its booster. It landed in the Indian Ocean. This was Starship's fifth test flight and the most successful to date.
“Thousands of different vehicle and pad standards had to be met before we adopted the Super Heavy Booster,” the company said.Said in X's postSunday. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of SpaceX engineers, we were able to successfully catch it on the first attempt.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated social media platform It will be preparation for the South Pole region of the Moon, and then to Mars.”
SpaceX has been recovering the first stage booster of its Falcon 9 small rocket for nine years after delivering satellites and crew into orbit from Florida or California. But instead of landing on a launch pad, it will land on a floating platform at sea or on a concrete slab miles from the launch pad.
The Associated Press contributed.
