The fifth test launch of the US Starship rocket system under development for manned missions to the Moon and Mars on Sunday was a success, the development company SpaceX said.
After one orbit around the Earth, the promising Starship manned spacecraft touched down in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia.
The launch was carried out from SpaceX’s Starbase launch pad in Boca Chica, southeast Texas, at 08:25 a.m. ET (15:25 a.m. Kyiv time).
Meanwhile, for the first time in the history of space exploration, the Super Heavy carrier has successfully landed back at the launch complex, where it was grabbed by the Mechazilla system levers during landing.
The reusable rocket system consists of the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy launch vehicle. Its height exceeds 120 meters. It is taller than any other rocket ever created in the world. The Super Heavy carrier is twice as powerful as the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy rocket being developed by NASA for manned flights to the Moon. The rocket has been launched four times before, but only two flights – in March and June of this year – were successful.
