On October 13, 2024, SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test of the Starship, the largest rocket ever built. This marked a significant achievement in space engineering as the first stage of the rocket was recovered on the launch pad using a crane.
The Starship's booster utilized its 39 Raptor engines to place the main module into orbit. In an unprecedented engineering feat, it returned from the stratosphere, executed a controlled descent, and landed back on the launch pad to be captured by a recovery system known as 'chopsticks.'
SpaceX aims for Starship to be the first private service to reach the Moon and Mars, establishing permanent presences and colonies on these celestial bodies, a vision endorsed by its founder, Elon Musk.
The landing process for the Starship booster is analogous to that of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which is designed for orbital missions with a success rate exceeding 95%.