SpaceX Makes History, Grabbing Descending Rocket With Mechanical Arms

Starship's Super Heavy Booster is grappled at the launch pad in Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, on October 13, 2024, during the Starship Flight 5 test. SpaceX successfully "caught" the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket Sunday as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight, a world first in the company's quest for rapid reusability.

Photo: SERGIO FLORES / AFP / Getty Images

SpaceX made history this morning by using it's "mechazilla" mechanical arms to catch the descending rocket after it had launched this morning from its Boca Chica, Texas launch site.

The FAA on Saturday issued a new license to the private space company, after requiring SpaceX to limit harm to the environment along the South Texas coast during lift off.

Following the announcement, SpaceX posted that it was targeting Sunday morning for Starship's fifth test flight, and the rocket blasted off successfully at 7:25am Central.

Then the Super Heavy booster rocket successfully returned to the launch tower in Texas. Starship is the largest rocket ever built, and was designed to carry NASA astronauts to the moon.