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Success★ Landmark flightV1 · Orbital Launch Pad 1
Starship Flight 5
Saturday, October 12, 2024
▲BoosterCaught●ShipSplashdown
The first tower catch — Mechazilla's chopstick arms caught the returning Super Heavy booster.
The landmark flight of the program: for the first time, the Super Heavy booster flew back to the launch site and was caught in mid-air by the launch tower's 'chopstick' arms. Starship completed its planned reentry and a precise soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Super Heavy Booster
Caught by the launch tower's chopstick arms (Pad 1)
Starship (Upper Stage)
Controlled reentry and on-target soft splashdown
Objectives
- Return the booster to the launch site
- First tower catch attempt
- Controlled Starship splashdown on target
Milestones / Firsts
- First-ever catch of an orbital-class booster by the launch tower