SpaceX successfully launched its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket on Sunday, making a dramatic first catch of the rocket’s booster at its Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas. The rocket separated and continued on to space, aiming to travel halfway around the Earth before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a license for the flight sooner than expected, allowing SpaceX to move forward with their plans. The company’s leadership has said that they expect to fly hundreds of Starship missions before launching with any crew, emphasizing their goal of building on what they’ve learned from previous flights.
The Starship system is designed to be fully reusable and is critical to NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the moon, as SpaceX won a contract to use the rocket as a crewed lunar lander as part of the Artemis moon program. The company is focused on making the rocket fully reusable, with the recent successful booster catch marking a significant milestone in this endeavor. The Super Heavy booster and Starship rocket together produce a powerful thrust and require over 10 million pounds of propellant for launch. The rocket is the tallest and most powerful ever launched, with the potential to revolutionize space travel and exploration.
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