SpaceX has launched the fifth test flight of its Starship rocket,achieving a significant milestone by successfully capturing the over 20-story tall booster for the first time.This accomplishment,marked as Starship launch 5,is an important step toward making Starship a fully reusable rocket system.

　　The highlight of this Starship IFT 5 was the attempt to land the Super Heavy booster on the Mechazilla launch tower,colloquially referred to as“chopsticks.”SpaceX used this massive structure to grasp the returning booster mid-air.

　　“This is an incredible achievement,just like chopsticks catching the booster,”said SpaceX engineer Jessie Anderson during the live broadcast.

　　Recovering the booster after launch is a critical milestone for SpaceX as it prepares for commercial operations.The rocket is central to CEO Elon Musk’s vision of sending humans to the Moon and Mars.However,there is still much work to be done before crewed and cargo launches can occur.

　　Musk has long claimed that this rocket will achieve full reusability.SpaceX is known for recovering its Falcon 9 rocket,but those vehicles are only partially reusable,with some components destroyed or discarded after missions.

　　For Starship,SpaceX aims to fully recover both the Starship spacecraft(which will carry satellites and eventually passengers)and the Super Heavy booster.By recovering both parts,SpaceX hopes to enable rapid reuse and re-launch of the rocket,allowing multiple flights in a single day.The company also anticipates that full reusability will significantly reduce launch costs.

　　Like the Falcon 9,the Super Heavy booster uses fins to help navigate through the atmosphere on its return to Earth.It reignites its engines to slow its descent before landing.However,unlike the Falcon 9,which lands on legs,the Super Heavy booster is captured just before touchdown.

　　After separating from the booster,Starship continued its journey into space,orbiting Earth halfway before re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down in the Indian Ocean,successfully completing the test.This flight was uncrewed,and company leaders indicated that SpaceX plans to conduct hundreds of Starship missions before crewed launches.

　　In the previous flight,referred to as Starship flight 5,Starship successfully returned but began to disintegrate during descent,ultimately burning up before hitting the ocean.To counter the extreme heat during re-entry,SpaceX redesigned Starship’s heat shield for this flight.

　　SpaceX does not necessarily view rocket losses during each test flight as failures.The company’s goal is continuous improvement through each test.So far,SpaceX has achieved more objectives with every new launch.

　　NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated SpaceX on social media:“As we prepare for a return to the Moon under the Artemis program,ongoing testing will help ensure we are ready for upcoming bold missions—starting with the Moon’s south pole and then on to Mars.”

　　The design of the Starship system aims for complete reusability,with the goal of providing a new way to transport cargo and personnel beyond Earth.The rocket is also crucial to NASA’s plans,as the agency intends to use Starship to return astronauts to the Moon.As part of NASA’s Artemis program,SpaceX has secured billions of dollars in contracts to use Starship as a crewed lunar lander.

　　Musk responded:“Thank you,sir!Looking forward to serving NASA and bringing humans back to the Moon.”