One of the keys to lowering the cost of space flight has been the re-use of the booster rockets.
Here's Elon Musk on Friday:
Looks like Starship might fly on Sunday!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2024
This the largest & most powerful flying object ever made at more than double the thrust of the Saturn V Moon rocket.
We will try to catch it upon return to launch site using the Mechazilla arms like giant chopsticks (like Karate Kid)! https://t.co/8g7mLaTCRK
The headline at Reuters October 13, after the flight:
SpaceX catches giant Starship booster in fifth flight test
SpaceX in its fifth Starship test flight on Sunday returned the rocket's towering first stage booster back to its Texas launch pad for the first time using giant mechanical arms, achieving another novel engineering feat in the company's push to build a reusable moon and Mars vehicle.
The rocket's first stage "Super Heavy" booster lifted off at 7:25 a.m. CT (1225 GMT) from SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas launch facilities, sending the Starship second stage rocket toward space before separating at an altitude of roughly 70 km (40 miles) to begin its return to land - the most daring part of the test flight....
If SpaceX can land and reuse the most powerful rocket ever made what can’t it do?
Best footage of the Super Heavy booster landing from today's mission. pic.twitter.com/q2RhgFcCU2
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) October 13, 2024
There was a learning curve to ascend:
But in April 2019 people started to think there might be something to this approach:
