New Delhi, AYT News | In a groundbreaking moment for space exploration, SpaceX successfully caught the super heavy booster of its Starship megarocket using a pair of mechanical chopsticks at its Texas launchpad. The feat occurred minutes after liftoff at 7:25 am (1225 GMT) in clear weather. The upper stage of Starship is set to splash down in the Indian Ocean.
"Folks, this is a day for the engineering history books," a SpaceX spokesperson exclaimed. SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted, The tower has caught the rocket!! SpaceX engineers spent years preparing and months testing for this booster catch attempt. Had conditions not been met, the booster would have splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
This achievement has significant implications for NASA's Artemis program, which plans to utilize a modified Starship as a lander vehicle for crewed Moon missions later this decade.This success follows SpaceX's first successful splashdown with Starship in June. The reusable technology breakthrough paves the way for more efficient and cost-effective space travel. This is a critical step towards establishing a permanent human presence on Mars, Musk stated.