Catching boosters, not feelings. This booster catch was a first for SpaceX and an important step toward rapid reusability as NASA and its industry partners develop landers to enable a regular cadence of lunar surface excursions under Artemis. The company launched an integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket, or booster, for the fifth time on Oct. 13, 2024, from its Starbase site in Texas. Seven minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster was caught by the “chopstick” arms of the launch tower. The Starship upper stage splashed down in the Indian Ocean about 65 minutes after liftoff. NASA is working with SpaceX to develop the company’s Starship human landing system (HLS), which will land astronauts near the Moon’s South Pole during the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions. Image 1: The first-stage booster of SpaceX’s Starship is seen here being caught by the “chopstick” arms of the launch tower. A sunrise can be seen in the background. Image 2: A close-up image of the engines fi...