SpaceX Conducts New Test Flight: Gigantic 'Chopsticks' Catch Megarocket

texas, boca chica beach, south texas - SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket ever, is set to launch on its fifth test flight from Texas with some unique recovery experiments.

On Sunday, SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket ever built, is scheduled to take off for its fifth test flight from Texas around 14:00 Dutch time. The American aviation authority FAA has granted permission for SpaceX's unmanned flight.

Mounted on top of a Super Heavy booster, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket in the world, launching from SpaceX's test site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. The goal is to send astronauts to the moon by 2026.

SpaceX has warned residents in the area about the noise from the 33 Raptor engines propelling the 121-meter-high rocket with a 9-meter diameter into space.

About eight to ten minutes after liftoff, the 71-meter-tall booster will attempt to return to the launch site. Listeners may hear one or more sonic booms as the booster travels faster than the speed of sound.

While SpaceX has experience with reusable boosters that land either on land or on a boat with deployable legs, this test flight is taking it a step further.

The booster will return to the launch pad where two large arms, nicknamed 'Giant Chopsticks' by locals, will try to catch the rocket component. This system is designed to enable rapid turnaround times for Starship launches. Starship itself is also reusable, but will not be recovered in this test.

When fully assembled, Starship and the Super Heavy booster stand 121 meters tall, making it the tallest and most powerful rocket in the world.

SpaceX's Starship has been chosen by NASA as the lunar lander for its Artemis 3 mission, intended to send up to four astronauts to the moon for a manned landing in 2026. SpaceX has also sold at least one Starship flight to American billionaire Jared Isaacman, with reservations for another Starship trip around the moon.

Live updates of the fifth Starship test flight will be available on SpaceX's website. The 30-minute launch window opens at 14:00 Dutch time.

Meanwhile, SpaceX and NASA have postponed the return of four astronauts from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions off the coast of Florida. The Crew-8 NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will remain in space longer than planned.