SpaceX dazzles with spectacular booster catch and paves the way for interplanetary travel

Space exploration continues to advance, and SpaceX has recently marked another milestone: On Sunday morning, the private aerospace company succeeded in catching a booster rocket mid-air with mechanical arms—a technical feat that further fuels SpaceX's ambitions for cost-effective space travel. At dawn, an unmanned Starship rocket, along with the "super heavy booster," launched from the Texas coast. After a brief trip into the atmosphere, the booster separated from the Starship rocket and fell back to Earth in a vertical descent, with engines slowing its landing. In a spectacular landing, the so-called "Chopsticks" tower caught the returning booster in a cloud of smoke and fire. Elon Musk himself announced the mission's success via his platform "X," highlighting the significance of this step towards humanity's multiplanetary existence. During the SpaceX webcast, company spokesperson Dan Huot spoke about the "miracle" he witnessed, which captivated him. Another goal of the mission was achieved as planned: the Starship rocket orbited the Earth and eventually landed in the Indian Ocean. The successful flight of the fifth Starship mission underscores SpaceX's position as one of the most valuable private companies globally. According to Morgan Stanley, costs of $100 million per flight could soon be halved, which greatly supports the development of a reusable spacecraft fleet. A manned moon flight in 2025 and a subsequent moon landing in 2026 are already planned for SpaceX. Currently valued at about $180 billion, the company could soon find itself among the top 50 entities in the S&P 500 Index. The satellite division Starlink also plays a significant role with 2.6 million subscribers worldwide. Although the announcement of Tesla's "Robotaxi," another venture by Musk, fell through with investors last week, SpaceX's recent successes may offset the setback. Either way, Musk remains at the center of interest with his innovation efforts.