Title: Starship Flight Test 5, Mechazilla catches the Super Heavy booster. 13 Oct 2024.
SpaceX completed Starship’s Integrated Flight Test 5 (IFT 5) on 13 October 2024. This spacecraft was composed of Starship 30 atop of Super Heavy Booster 12, integrated for the test. Starship launched from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, USA.
The test achieved its ambitious objectives including the first attempt at catching the booster in flight as it returned to the launch pad (Orbital Launch Mount A). The highly complex manoeuvre was a total success carving its mark on spaceflight history and consolidating the future of rocket reusability.
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Updates
16oct2024: Observer: Historical Milestone.13oct2024: BBC: World first.
Background
Flight Test 5.Starship's evolution.
Planned booster catch.
Highlights of Flight Test 5.
Flight Test 5 Webcast.
Amazing images FT 5.
Booster rollback 15oct2024.
UPDATES
Starship test flight such a historic milestone – 16 Oct 2024
Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly wrote in the Observer “In an impressive feat of engineering, Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully retrieved the booster of a Starship prototype on the land for the first time during a test flight on Sunday (13 Oct. 2024).” It continues: “The fifth test marked a major milestone for SpaceX’s dreams of eventually creating a fully reusable rocket system capable of sending humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars.” They quote Elon Musk: “Especially after yesterday’s booster catch and precise ocean landing of the ship, I am now convinced that it can work”.
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Starship booster captured in world first – 13 Oct 2024
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on 13 October 2024: “Starship rocket has completed a world first after part of it was captured on its return to the launch pad. The SpaceX vehicle's lower half manoeuvred back beside its launch tower where it was caught in a giant pair of mechanical arms, as part of its fifth test flight.” The article continued: “The US space agency, Nasa, will also be delighted the flight has gone to plan. It has paid the company $2.8bn (£2.14bn) to develop Starship into a lander capable of returning astronauts to the Moon's surface by 2026.” It also mentioned environmental concerns about the launch site and the flights: “Dr Eloise Marais, professor of atmospheric chemistry and air quality at University College London, said the carbon emissions from rockets pale in comparison to other forms of transport but there are other planet-warming pollutants which are not being considered”.
Black Carbon (BC) concentrates in Asia(Wikipedia, 2025).
Starship uses large amounts of Methane and Oxygen as fuel, and there is still little data to determine the amount of emissions produced by this relatively new type of combustion. The main concern was the emission of Black Carbon (BC), consisting of particles of less than 2.5 micrometres in size, commonly known as soot or charcoal, and released by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass. When suspended in the air, the particles absorb sunlight and heat, warming up their surroundings. Black Carbon is a weak contributor to global warming because it remains in the atmosphere only from days to weeks, compared to other greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide that remains for more than 100 years. Although BC is found worldwide, it is more evident over the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan foothills of Asia.
END of UPDATES
Flight Test 5 – 13 Oct 2024
Following a successful lift-off, ascent, stage separation, boost-back burn, and coast, the Super Heavy booster performed its landing burn and was caught by the chopstick arms of the “Launch and Catch” tower at Starbase. The tower is also known as Mechazilla. Succeeding at the first attempt was the result of thousands of criteria met by the vehicle and monitor by the engineering team during flight. When all the criteria were met during ascent the "go for catch" announcement was made boosting the excitement of the whole engineering and technical teams at SpaceX. The world witnesses a highly controlled "Catch", which is what the future will look like when Starship starts carrying crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Starship's fifth flight test was the most ambitious yet in reaching SpaceX' objectives of demonstrating techniques that are essential for the goal of building rapidly reusable rockets.
WatchStarship Flight Test 5 highlights by SpaceX (3min 26sec).
Starship’s evolution
The series of tests to develop the Starship vehicle began as a technology demonstration of Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing (VTVL) designed for reusability.
Grasshopper rocket launched in 2012.(SpaceX, 2025).
SpaceX began development of VTVL vehicles in 2006. The first one was the reusable rocket prototype, Grasshopper, which made 8 flights between 2012 and 2013. In those early tests, the rocket, a modified Falcon 9 first stage, reached an altitude of 250 metres before descending and landing on the launch pad, demonstrating the ability to control the rocket's trajectory from ascent to descent with upmost precision.
In 2013 SpaceX announces the development of Falcon 9R, a re-usable version of the successful vehicle that launches in 2015 but explodes on landing. The company announces the Falcon 9 FT and makes history on 21 December 2015, when it lands on a drone ship after launching a payload to orbit. Other flights followed.
Falcon Heavy started development in 2017 and launches for the first time on 06 February 2018, landing 3 of its 4 boosters.
Starhopper launched 2019.(SpaceX, 2025).
The Starhopper was the first prototype for Starship and had 4 successful tests in 2019. On September 3, 2024, Starhopper was moved to a parking lot nearby the launch site at Starbase.
The following year, SpaceX began testing Starship SN1 prototypes. After a series of test, the various iterations of Starship improved until Starship SN15, which successfully completed a high-altitude flight and landing on 05 May 2021
SpaceX develops the Starship HLS in 2022, a spacecraft designed for lunar missions.
Integrated Starships that combined Starship with Super Heavy booster began with model S24, which launched on 20 April 2023 as Flight Test 1.
Test 2 launched version S25 on 18 November 2023. All the test so far failed or were destroyed.
Test 3 launched version S28 successfully on 14 March 2024 but the vehicle failed afterwards.
Flight Test 4, flap burning at re-entry, 2024.(SpaceX, 2025).
Test 4, using version S29, launched on 06 June 2024 was the first one that achieved a controlled landing of the booster in the ocean and the ship, despite partial burning of its flaps during re-entry. The ship was subsequently expended.
Test 5 launched S30 on 13 October with a successful outcome and for the first time, capture of the booster by the tower and completion of the flight by the Ship, although this was eventually expended.
Planned booster catch
One of the main objectives of Flight Test 5 was catching the Super Heavy Booster using the “Chopsticks” arms of the double-purpose Launch-Land tower “Mechazilla” at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The following pre-flight animation stills depict some of the expected views.
Flight Test 5: Pre-flight animation depicting the approach of the booster viewed from below the Chopsticks of the catching tower (SpaceX, 2025).
Flight Test 5, Pre-flight animation depicting the booster’s landing burn as it is caught and then resting on the tower (SpaceX, 2025).Highlights of Flight Test 5 on 13 October 2024
The following images show key moments of Flight Test 5 from the webcast of this historic event.
FT 5: Launchpad at Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas before countdown (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Starship launch @ T 00.00.00 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Stage separation and Super Heavy booster initiates return @ T 00.02.44 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Super Heavy booster landing burn approaching the landing tower @ T 00.06.45 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Super Heavy booster caught by the tower’s mechanical arms @ T 00.06.55 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: SpaceX staff celebrate their unbelievable achievement. Booster resting on the tower @ T 00.07.29 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Super Heavy booster resting on the tower at dawn @ T 00.08.03 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Super Heavy booster resting cooing down on the launch-land tower @ T 00.10.19 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Starship coasting over the Earth @ T 00.10.39 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Starship coasting over the mouth of River Linta, Madagascar @ T 00.43.25 (SpaceX, 2025).
The river Linta in SW Madagascar flows into the Indian Ocean, next to Adroka town (Google Lens, Google Maps, Wikipedia, 2025).
FT 5: Starship at re-entry. Plasma forming around the spacecraft @ T 00.47.20 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Starship at re-entry. Plasma iridescence visible on the flap @ T 00.54.11 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5: Starship’s landing burn at splashdown @ T 01.05.34 (SpaceX, 2025).Flight Test 5 Webcast
Flight Test 5 webcast was narrated by SpaceX hosts Kate Tice, Senior Quality Engineering Manager and Jessica Anderson, Manufacturing Engineering Manager on 13 October 2024.
At the end of the live broadcast they presented Mechazilla after a successful first historic attempt at catching the booster on flight as it landed on the launchpad from which it launched.
FT 5 Webcast: Hosts Kate Tice and Jessica Anderson present Mechazilla on 13 October 2025 @ T 01.08.15 (SpaceX, 2025).SpaceX staff watched the event with excitement and anticipation of success that ended in enormous joy and pride when the main goals of their work were achieved.
FT 5 Webcast: SpaceX staff watching the broadcast in excitement during ascent @ T 00.19.45 (SpaceX, 2025).
FT 5 Webcast: Elon Musk, CEO and Chief Engineer of SpaceX celebrating with staff in the control room (SpaceX, 2025).Watch the full webcast from 13 October 2024 presented by Kate Tice and Jessica Anderson from Hawthorn, California.
Play Webcast of Flight Test 5. Image of Super Heavy booster’s landing burn. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025). (Opens on a new tab).
Amazing Images – FT 5
Some amazing images were captured during and after Flight Test 5. These include booster landing and capture and the booster rollback from the tower to the production site at Starbase.
Flight Test 5: Super Heavy booster’s landing burn as it approaches the launching / landing tower Mechazilla. 13 Oct 2024.Note water deluge at base of launchpad to prevent heat damage (Wikipedia, 2024).
Flight Test 5: A closer view of Super Heavy booster’s landing burn as it approaches the landing tower. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025).
Flight Test 5: First stage Raptor engines firing during ascent. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025).Booster 12 was rolled back to the production site two days after the test, on 15 October 2024. At the facility within Starbase, the booster was to be inspected and repaired. The most obvious damage was to one of the columns on the side of the booster.
Raptor Engine 314 marked with a “pie” was successfully re-used in Booster 14, which launched and returned to the landing site as part of IFT 7 on 16 January 2025, demonstrating the feasibility of engine reuse.
Post-Flight Test 5: Super Heavy Booster 12 Raptor engines prior to roll back to the production site after the test. 15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).
Post-Flight Test 5: Close up of Super Heavy Booster 12 Raptor engines. 15 Oct 2024.Note engine 314 with a “Pie” to be re-used in Booster 14, part of IFT 7 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).
Booster rollback: Super Heavy Booster 12 moved from the launch/land pad.The Starhopper vehicle on the left is near the carpark. 15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).
Booster rollback: A closer view of Super Heavy Booster 12 shows the enormous size of the operation.15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).
Super Heavy Booster 12 standing in between the two production sites (black buildings) at Starbase.15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).
Graphic showing the integrated components of Starship:The Starship rocket atop the Super Heavy booster, and Mechazilla, the launch & land tower (Stallard E, BBC, 2024).
The Flight Test 5 Patch and T-Shirt with Flight 5 graphic are available in the SpaceX store, together with more goodies (SpaceX, 2025).
SpaceX: Mechazilla catching the booster. Concept art (SpaceX, 2025).Booster Rollback - 15 October 2024
Watch the full broadcast of Booster 12 rollback to production site from 15 October 2024 (1h29m).
REFERENCES
» NASASpaceflight (2024) Full replay: SpaceX Rolls Booster 12 to the Production Site After Catch | Starbase. 15 Oct 2024. Duration: 1h39m. [Online video]. Available YouTube. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Stallard E (2024) Elon Musk's Starship booster captured in world first. BBC, News. 13 Oct 2024. [Online article]. Available at BBC. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Tremayne-Pengelly A (2024) Starship test flight such a historic milestone? Observer. 16 Oct 2024. [Online article]. Available at The Observer. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Wikipedia (2025) Black Carbon. [Online article]. Available at Wikipedia. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
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