Watch The Historic Moment When Giant Mech Arms Grab SpaceX's Starship Flight
The "mechazilla" captured the rocket booster mid-air.
By Sukhbir Cheema — 15 Oct 2024, 04:31 PM
Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship has achieved another milestone in its journey to revolutionise space travel
On 13 October, it completed its fifth test launch and safely returned to Earth.
This mission is historic because it's the first successful use of the company’s futuristic "mechazilla" technology.
In a video posted by SpaceX on X (formerly Twitter), the "mechazilla" captured the rocket booster mid-air, guiding it gently onto the landing pad. This feat could redefine reusable space travel.
The Starship took off from SpaceX's South Texas launch facility at 8.25am ET, powered by the Super Heavy booster’s 33 engines
Just minutes after liftoff, the booster began its descent, controlled by the company's "chopsticks" — a set of giant mechanical arms designed to catch the rocket instead of letting it splash down in the ocean, as seen in previous tests.
Watching the metal pincer-like structure grasp the booster, SpaceX engineer Kate Tice exclaimed, "This is absolutely insane!"
Watch the historic moment in the video below:
This method marks a significant shift from earlier water landings, showcasing SpaceX's commitment to creating a fully reusable rocket system
SpaceX shared, "By continuing to push our hardware in a flight environment, and doing so as safely and frequently as possible, we'll rapidly bring Starship online and revolutionise humanity's ability to access space."
With NASA's Artemis III and IV missions set to rely on the Starship for astronaut transport under a USD4.2 billion (RM18 billion) contract, SpaceX's latest triumph brings Musk's dream of sustainable, cost-effective space exploration closer to reality.
