SpaceX
This is just astoundingly cool … SpaceX’s Starship megarocket — the world’s most powerful rocket that will take NASA back to the moon — just flew in reverse, essentially, making a perfect landing back on the launch pad.
The biggest rocket ever made blasted off Sunday morning from Southern Texas for Starship Flight 5, attempting to have both stages of the spacecraft — the Super Heavy booster and Starship capsule — return safely back to Earth … and it was downright incredible to see.
Minutes after the successful launch, spectators and SpaceX engineers cheered and watched in amazement as the Super Heavy booster came back down … and the launch pad’s “chopstick” arms caught it cleanly, holding it safely above the pad … in one reusable piece.
SpaceX
As if that wasn’t enough good news for Elon Musk … the Starship capsule — which was sent into space by the Super Heavy booster — also made a successful controlled descent, splashing down in the Indian Ocean about an hour after the initial launch.
Elon’s been a polarizing figure. of late — mostly due to his involvement in American politics — but, it’s hard to deny the genius of his companies’ inventions.
NASA plans to use the Starship spacecraft for its Artemis missions to the moon, currently scheduled to happen in 2026.