SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster made a historic return to the launch pad Sunday morning, successfully caught by the mechanical arms of the launch tower in a groundbreaking achievement. This incredible feat occurred during the fifth flight of the Starship system, marking a critical step toward achieving full rocket reusability. Starship lifted off at approximately 8:25 AM ET from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

While SpaceX has been landing its Falcon 9 rockets for several years, the approach for recapturing Super Heavy was significantly different. Instead of landing on a drone ship at sea like Falcon 9, Super Heavy returned to the launch site, maneuvering precisely into the narrow gap between the tower’s “chopstick” arms. The complex maneuver posed a considerable risk of damaging the launch tower, but Super Heavy executed it flawlessly, as seen in live footage, prompting cheers from SpaceX’s viewing room.

As Super Heavy successfully returned, Starship continued its mission, flying for about an hour before splashing down in the Indian Ocean around 9:30 AM ET, as planned. The fully reusable Starship system, comprised of the Super Heavy first stage and Starship second stage, represents a major leap forward in SpaceX’s long-term goals, including missions to Mars.