With the booster catch, SpaceX has surpassed the fourth test flight’s milestones.
The company completed its goal of returning the booster back to the launch site and used the “chopstick” arms on the tower to catch the vehicle. The company sees the ambitious catch approach as critical to its goal of making the rocket fully reusable.
“SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success,” the company wrote on its website.
The catch requires thousands of criteria to be met, the company said. If it hadn’t been ready, the booster would have diverted from the return trajectory to instead splash down off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only be attempted if conditions are right,” SpaceX said.
