SpaceX launched Starship for its fifth flight test around 8:25 a.m. ET from its launch site in South Texas. The company managed to return the Starship Super Heavy booster to its landing site, where it was “caught” on the launch tower with arms that SpaceX calls “chopsticks.”
The catch was a first for the booster, which the company returned without incident before its final flight test in June. The company's next task is to return Starship, which, as before, is expected to sink in the Indian Ocean.
The launch was slightly delayed as boats were cleared from launch range, bringing the flight test to the edge of its 30-minute launch window. The Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX approval for the test flight on Saturday, October 12. The fifth Starship test was originally expected to be completed in November, but the FAA and its partner agencies reportedly completed their assessments more quickly than expected.