Watch: SpaceX Achieves Historic Booster Retrieval

In an impressive display of space engineering, SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking milestone. At around 7:31 am CT, they successfully captured a Super Heavy booster using their launch tower after it deployed a Starship second stage into orbit and performed a controlled reentry.

After following space launches since the Mercury missions, I can honestly say I’ve never witnessed an orbital flight where the success felt secondary to the launch—until now. At 7:25 am CT, from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, the massive Starship rocket embarked on its fifth test flight. The fact that it lifted off without exploding, crashing, or experiencing any other mishap was promising, but that’s when it made history.

Hot Staging Separation Milestone

Around two minutes and 41 seconds into the flight, Starship performed a hot staging separation, igniting its second stage’s six engines while still connected to the Super Heavy first stage. Instead of shutting down all 33 Raptor engines, the Super Heavy reduced power to just three engines before the separation.

As the Starship second stage ascended into orbit, the Super Heavy performed a routine reentry maneuver, executing a controlled return to the Mechazilla tower, now serving as its landing site. Using three engines, which swiveled on gimbal mounts to position the booster correctly, the Super Heavy glided into the waiting “chopsticks,” which gently closed around it to secure the rocket before final shutdown.

Surprise Success for Super Heavy Landing

A SpaceX spokesperson expressed surprise at the success, noting that they expected the Super Heavy to either crash or be forced to abort and ditch into the Gulf of Mexico at the last moment. The scene had an almost surreal quality, resembling something out of an old Thunderbirds episode rather than a real-world engineering feat—especially considering the Super Heavy is even larger than a Saturn V first stage.

Meanwhile, the Starship second stage continued its orbital path, concluding with a gentle powered water landing in the Indian Ocean, one hour and five minutes after launch. Although it might seem like a minor detail, the landing was crucial for SpaceX engineers, who were particularly concerned about testing the upgrades made to the reentry heat shield.

Today’s launch was unexpected, especially given the ongoing conflict between SpaceX and the FAA. The agency had previously stated it wouldn’t approve another Starship launch before November and fined SpaceX $633,000 for allegedly failing to secure the necessary licenses and permits. Meanwhile, Elon Musk threatened to sue the FAA for reportedly making false claims about Starship’s environmental impacts.

Regardless, SpaceX’s next big objective is to capture both the Super Heavy and the Starship second stage using the tower. Successfully doing so would pave the way for a launch system with an unprecedentedly fast turnaround time between launches.

Read the orignal article on: New Atlas

Read more: The Spacesuit that Chinese Astronauts Will use on the Moon