In a groundbreaking moment for space exploration, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to applaud Elon Musk’s SpaceX for its historic achievement with the Starship rocket. The Starship rocket successfully completed its fifth test flight, showcasing incredible advancements in reusable space technology.
Mahindra shared a mesmerizing video clip that captured the Starship rocket’s triumphant return to its launch tower. In the video, the lower half of the rocket is seen maneuvering its way back to the launch site, ending with a precise and seamless catch by a pair of massive mechanical arms. This milestone marks a significant step forward in making space travel more efficient and sustainable.
In his tweet, Mahindra expressed his excitement about the achievement, stating, “And this Sunday, I’m happy to be a couch potato, if it means that I get to watch history being made. This experiment may just be the critical moment when space travel was democratised and made routine. Where can I buy my ticket, @elonmusk?”
SpaceX has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in its mission for rapid reusability. On Sunday, the company successfully “caught” the first-stage booster of its Starship mega-rocket as it returned to the launch pad following a test flight. This is a world first and a significant step forward for Elon Musk’s space company.
The test flight began with the “super heavy booster” launching alongside the Starship rocket. Minutes later, the booster made a flawless, controlled return to the same launch pad in Texas. In a stunning display, a pair of massive mechanical “chopsticks” extended from the launch tower to catch the slowly descending booster, bringing it to a safe stop. The entire event was streamed live by SpaceX, showcasing this technological marvel.
Shortly after the booster’s return, the upper stage of the Starship rocket continued its journey and splashed down as planned in the Indian Ocean, marking another successful phase of the test. This achievement represents a huge leap toward SpaceX’s vision of making space travel more efficient and routine.