On October 13th, local time, SpaceX, the American space exploration technology company, conducted the fifth test flight of its new - generation heavy - lift launch vehicle, Starship. This test flight witnessed a remarkable achievement as the rocket's booster was "caught" by a robotic arm nicknamed "chopsticks" on the launch tower during its descent, achieving the first mid - air capture and recovery. Subsequently, the Starship spacecraft splashed down in the Indian Ocean.
Standing at approximately 120 meters tall and 9 meters in diameter, the Starship rocket consists of two parts. The first stage is the approximately 70 - meter - long "Super Heavy" booster, and the second stage is the Starship spacecraft. Both stages are designed to be reusable. The rocket aims to transport humans and cargo to Earth's orbit, the Moon, and even Mars.
This was the fifth test flight of Starship. During the fourth test flight in June this year, the first and second stages of the rocket successfully separated and fell into the Gulf of Mexico and the Indian Ocean as planned. The method of using a robotic arm to capture the booster in this test flight is expected to enable faster recovery and reuse of the booster, thus increasing the launch frequency of Starship. This innovation in recovery technology represents a significant step forward in SpaceX's pursuit of more efficient and cost - effective space travel.
