Source: Washington Post

A SpaceX Starship rocket successfully landed upright Sunday alongside a massive metal landing tower as it was caught by two converging "chopstick" arms -- another historic engineering breakthrough for the world's largest and most powerful rocket.

Sunday's launch marked the fifth test flight for Starship, which stands nearly 400 feet tall and is composed of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. The system is central to founder Elon Musk's hopes to eventually colonize Mars and to NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon. Musk has said he plans to launch about five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in the next two years, with possible crewed missions to follow.

SpaceX said the spacecraft itself also experienced a successful flight and splashed down "precisely on target." But it was the booster's safe landing that marked not only a historic feat of aeronautical engineering but also a major milestone for SpaceX's goal of full reusability for its rockets. The company hopes this innovation will enable more ambitious space missions, and with greater frequency.

"Big step toward making life multiplanetary was made today," Musk posted on X after Sunday's launch.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/10/13/spacex-starship-rocket-booster-launch/