SpaceX launched the Starship and successfully landed the booster at the spaceport

On Sunday, October 13, the American company SpaceX carried out the fifth test launch of the Starship rocket system, which was created for missions to the Moon and Mars, during which the Super Heavy accelerator successfully returned to the launch pad, according to the company’s official page on the X social network.

The 122-meter Starship rocket system, which consists of a first-stage launch vehicle called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, is understood to have launched from Elon Musk’s Starbase spaceport in south Texas on Sunday.

“The main purpose of this flight was to launch the Starship and re-enter the atmosphere for landing in the Indian Ocean. The company announced a successful achievement. Another goal of the Starship Flight 5 test was to “catch” the first stage of the Super Heavy launch vehicle using the Mechazilla system on the launch pad after takeoff, which was achieved on the first attempt,” the company said.

This system is designed to capture the launch vehicle during descent, eliminating the need for it to land on a traditional platform or in the ocean.

The company reported that all stages of the test were considered “successful”.