SpaceX in its fifth Starship test flight on Sunday returned the rocket's towering first stage booster back to its Texas launch pad for the first time using giant mechanical arms, achieving another novel engineering feat in the company's push to build a reusable moon and Mars vehicle.

SpaceX hit a major milestone as it caught the returning Starship booster with giant metallic arms, while the spacecraft made a targeted splashdown.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

In an engineering feat, SpaceX launches enormous Starship rocket booster and successfully catches it back at the launch pad with mechanical arms.

Highlights from SpaceX's fifth orbital test flight of the Starship spaceship show the launch, separation and the first successful catch of the Super Heavy Booster in Texas on Oct. 13, 2024.

For the first time, SpaceX not only launched its mammoth Starship, but also returned the booster to the launch site and to caught it with a pair of