SpaceX launched its fifth Starship test flight on Sunday, with liftoff occurring at 8:25 am ET from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Rather than have the rocket's first stage Super Heavy 233-foot booster land in the ocean, SpaceX guided it gently back to its launch site, where the over 400-foot tower it had blasted off from caught it with mechanical arms.
This launch represents a significant step forward in reusable rocket technology. The ability to catch and rapidly reuse the Super Heavy booster could dramatically reduce launch costs and turnaround times. Success here would be a game-changer for space exploration and could accelerate plans for lunar and Mars missions.
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