SpaceX nails the landing in fifth test of its starship rocket
Justin Bachman, Bloomberg News MERRIT ISLAND, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2021/05/04: People watch as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. , Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. pulled off a mostly flawless landing of its newest and biggest rocket, as the modelâs fifth test flight opened the door to higher altitude excursions.
The Starship SN-15 prototype lifted off Wednesday from SpaceXâs seaside launch pad at about 5:24 p.m. local time in Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket flew to an altitude of about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) before a controlled descent, based on live video streamed by the company. The landing was marred only by a small fire at the bottom of the vehicle that was extinguished after a few minutes.