SpaceX has had a busy and memorable year, conducting more Falcon 9 missions than ever and making tangible progress with the development of its next-generations Starship vehicle, the most powerful rocket ever to fly.
The most notable of the Starship test missions came on October 13 when SpaceX’s launch tower “caught” the returning Super Heavy booster at the very first attempt.
The spectacular feat involved the 70-meter-tall booster returning with pinpoint accuracy two giant mechanical arms on the launch tower, which secured the booster above the ground at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
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Returning the booster in this way allows SpaceX to reuse the booster for multiple flights similar to what it does with its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, drastically reducing missions costs.
Below, we’ve pulled together various video clips showing the Super Heavy booster’s extraordinary homecoming on October 13. The first one shows both the launch and landing of the Starship, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft:
Launch and return are fundamental techniques for Starship’s fully and rapidly reusable design pic.twitter.com/vrTdGkB08s
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
This video is an onboard view showing a close-up of how the rocket came to rest on one of the so-called “chopstick” arms just minutes after deploying the Starship spacecraft to orbit:
Onboard view showing a catch fitting on Super Heavy as it contacts a chopstick catch beam pic.twitter.com/r1TVQEdITc
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024
In a message attached to the next clip, SpaceX said: “Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria had to be met prior to catching the Super Heavy booster. Thanks to the tireless work of SpaceX engineers, we succeeded with catch on our first attempt.”
Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria had to be met prior to catching the Super Heavy booster. Thanks to the tireless work of SpaceX engineers, we succeeded with catch on our first attempt. pic.twitter.com/6wa5v6xHI0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
Here’s a view from a camera attached to the launch tower, again showing in great detail how the Super Heavy rocket came in to land:
The final phase of Super Heavy's landing burn used the three center Raptor engines to precisely steer into catch position pic.twitter.com/BxQbOmT4yk
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024
Next, we have a beautiful wide shot over southern Texas, looking toward the Gulf of Mexico, with the Super Heavy using its Raptor rocket engines to slow itself before coming to rest on the tower:
Super Heavy landing burn and catch pic.twitter.com/wppBezuOet
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024
Another view from the tower shows more clearly the two arms moving together as the rocket returns:
Tower view of the first Super Heavy booster catch pic.twitter.com/Bgjeyuw7Hf
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024
The video below shows the rocket’s speed and altitude data as it comes in to land:
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/6R5YatSVJX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
This clip shows a SpaceX render (apparently created before the fifth test flight though released afterwards) that closely imagined how the actual landing (right) would appear:
Making a rapidly reusable future a reality pic.twitter.com/CM3cb24bw9
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 17, 2024
Finally, enjoy this video showing the rocket’s return and landing, together with commentary from the SpaceX team and the reaction of those watching:
SpaceX conducted a sixth test flight on November 19, but a communications issue between the launch tower and the returning Super Heavy forced mission controllers to send the booster into the Gulf of Mexico instead of attempting a second catch.
SpaceX will try to repeat its extraordinary landing feat on its seventh test flight, which is expected to take place in early January.