SpaceX 'Mechazilla' catches Starship booster mid-air in historic achievement - WATCH
SpaceX successfully catches returning Starship booster with 'Mechazilla' arms
In a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, SpaceX on Sunday (Oct 13) scripted history by catching the nearly 20-storey tall booster of its Starship rocket, minutes after launching it from the same platform.
Using the chopstick or what SpaceX CEO Elon Musk refers to as 'Mechazilla', therocket’s “Super Heavy” booster returned to land on the arms of the company’s launch tower, in a dramatic catch for the first time.
The significance of the achievement is gargantuan, as it paves the way for humanity to possibly settle on Mars. Rapid reusability of rockets and boosters is essential if humans are to becomeinterstellar species, according to Musk.
Currently, boosters land on their legs or on drone ships but catching them mid-air on the launch platform can dramatically cut down the time and resources needed for refurbishment and send the rockets instantly back in the air.
NASA is also keenly awaiting a modified version of Starship to act as a lander vehicle for crewed flights to the Moon under the Artemis programme later this decade.
The launch
The launch window opened at 7:00 am (1200 GMT) from the company's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The successful liftoff took place at 7:25 am with theRaptor engines working perfectly to send the second-stage Starship rocket on a path in space, bound for the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where it will attempt to land on a podium in water.
Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster, after separating from the Starship around 74 kilometres in the air, returned to the launchingpad, where the two giant robotic arms managed to catch it.
Netizens in awe
The launch and the subsequent catchleft the netizens shocked, who marvelled atarguably one of the greatest engineering feats of modern humanity.
"HOLY S***BALLS THEY CAUGHT IT!" wrote astronomerScott Manley.
A user wrote, "We are making history right now ladies and gentlemen", while another added: "Incredible engineering.This completely changes the game."
A third added: "That was without a doubt the coolest thing I’ve ever seen."
SpaceX's "fail fast, learn fast" strategy of rapid iterative testing, even when its rockets blow up, has accelerated development and contributed to the company's success. However, the launch of test flight 5 was delayed several times with Musk blaming the 'stifling red tape' hinting towards the Joe Biden administration.
(With inputs from agencies)