SpaceX made engineering history on Sunday during a test flight of the massive Starship rocket, catching the returning booster with mechanical arms dubbed “chopsticks” as it descended back to the launch pad.
The nearly 400-foot Starship rocket, which is designed to be reusable, launched from the company’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village in South Texas.
As the 233-foot Super Heavy booster detached and fell back toward Earth, the booster’s 33 Raptor engines roared to slow its return to the launch site. The booster fell slowly into the tower’s metal arms and hooked itself into place on the first-ever attempt at using the novel catching method.
“The tower has caught the rocket!!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.
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The launchpad tower is outfitted with mechanical arms SpaceX’s Kate Tice called “chopsticks,” though fans have nicknamed the feature “Mechazilla.”
SpaceX commentators during the launch broadcast described the feat of engineering as magical.
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“Even in this day and age, what we just saw is magic,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot said. “I am shaking right now.”
“Folks, this is a day for the engineering history books,” Tice added.
The test flight marks another step toward Musk’s vision of sending people and supplies into space, with his ultimate goal of sending crewed missions to Mars.
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