SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 Catches Super Heavy Booster with 'Mechazilla' on First Attempt

Oct 13, 2024, 12:40 PM

SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket for the fifth time, achieving a historic milestone by catching the 232-ft tall Super Heavy booster with the launch tower's mechanical arms, known as 'Mechazilla', on the first attempt. This marks the first time the company has attempted and succeeded in catching a rocket booster mid-air using the launch tower's 'chopsticks' arms. The test flight, known as Integrated Flight Test 5 (IFT5), took place at Starbase in Texas on October 13, 2024, and is considered a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology. The successful catch brings SpaceX closer to its goal of developing a fully reusable spacecraft capable of transporting humans to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.