SpaceX catches a Starship booster with the launch tower
On Starship's fifth flight, the Super Heavy booster returned to the pad and was caught by the tower's arms.
Archive entry. This article looks back at an event from October 13, 2024. It was drafted with AI assistance from public records and is being fact-checked. See our About page.
On October 13, 2024, Starship's fifth flight test launched from Starbase, Texas. About seven minutes later, the Super Heavy booster returned to the launch site and was caught in mid-air by the tower's two "chopstick" arms.
The catch was a first. It is meant to let SpaceX reuse boosters quickly without landing legs or a separate landing pad. The Starship upper stage flew on and made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The flight was seen as a major step toward a fully reusable Starship system.
