Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, shared on Friday morning that the Starship Super Heavy Booster has been successfully returned to its launch mount. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Musk wrote, “Super Heavy Booster is already back in its launch mount.”
The announcement garnered immediate praise from Musk’s followers, with one user commenting, “That’s amazing, Elon! You’re a big inspiration behind @convodotwtf.” Another expressed gratitude, saying, “It was absolutely beautiful launch. Thank you for chasing the dreams of your inner 5-year-old and bringing them to life for all of us to enjoy.” A third enthusiastically noted, “Round two is ready.”
This development follows the Starship’s sixth test flight, conducted in November 2024 from SpaceX’s expansive rocket development site in Boca Chica, Texas. The launch was highly anticipated, with notable attendees including US President-elect Donald Trump. The primary objectives of this test flight included ensuring the booster’s safe return to the launch site for recovery, reigniting a ship Raptor engine in space, and conducting various heatshield and manoeuvrability experiments to optimise reentry and descent capabilities over the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration under Musk’s visionary leadership. Known for his ambition to make humanity a multiplanetary species, Musk has previously outlined plans for uncrewed space missions to Mars. In September, he posted on X, “The first ships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens. These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars.”
He further elaborated on the long-term vision, stating, “If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years. The flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years. Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically, on one planet.”
This latest milestone is another step toward realising SpaceX’s overarching goal of making interplanetary travel a reality. As Musk and his team continue to refine the Starship’s design and capabilities, the world watches with anticipation for what’s to come.
