SpaceX catches Starship booster

SpaceX has caught the giant booster of its Starship rocket with a pair of mechanical arms as it returned to the launch tower, in a feat never attempted before.

The Super Heavy booster was caught on 13 October during the fifth test flight of Starship, from the company's base at Boca Chica in Texas.

Chopsticks

The booster, which is about 70 metres tall, lifted off carrying the Starship upper stage. After separating from the ship a few minutes into the flight, it flew back to the launch site and slowed down using its engines.

As it descended alongside the tower, two huge metal arms, nicknamed "chopsticks", closed around it and held it in place. Engineers at SpaceX's mission control cheered as it came to rest.

Why catch a rocket?

SpaceX wants Starship to be fully reusable, like an aircraft, which it says will dramatically cut the cost of spaceflight. Catching the booster on the tower means it does not need landing legs, making it lighter, and could allow it to be refuelled and launched again quickly.

The company already lands the boosters of its smaller Falcon 9 rockets and reuses them many times.

The ship

The Starship upper stage continued into space before returning to Earth and splashing down in the Indian Ocean, as planned.

The biggest rocket

Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. Standing about 120 metres tall with both stages, it is designed to carry more than 100 tonnes into orbit.

NASA plans to use a version of Starship to land astronauts on the Moon as part of its Artemis programme. SpaceX's founder, Elon Musk, has said he wants to use it to send people to Mars.

A difficult path

Earlier test flights ended in explosions, and SpaceX has faced criticism from environmental groups over the impact of launches on wildlife near the Texas site. The company's approach is to test rapidly, learn from failures and try again.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates launches in the United States, approved the fifth flight shortly before it took place.

Reaction

Space experts described the catch as a remarkable engineering achievement. Musk said it was a big step towards making life multiplanetary.

SpaceX says it plans more test flights in the coming months.