Why Elon Musk’s Megazilla catching the booster was such a leap forward for mankind | World News – Times of India

The launch of SpaceX’s fifth Starship test flight was remarkable, featuring a booster rocket with twice the power of the Apollo programme’s Saturn V, cutting through the early-morning sky on a bright column of flame tinged with blue. However, the true spectacle lay in the landing of the booster stage, which was extraordinary even by SpaceX’s standards.
After falling back from the edge of space, the 71-metre-long steel booster, larger than the fuselage of a Boeing 747, was still travelling at roughly the speed of sound just a kilometre above the Earth.Thirteen of its 33 engines reignited, rapidly decelerating the rocket to a few hundred kilometres per hour. Then, most of the engines were switched off, leaving it balanced precariously on the thrust of just three engines, akin to a broomstick balanced on a finger.
The engines guided the booster back to the 146-metre-tall gantry tower from which it had launched only seven minutes earlier. As it descended past the tower, at a slightly worrying angle, the tower’s massive arms closed around the rocket, bringing it to a stop high in the Texas sky. The booster rested there, flames still sporadically licking around its base—an awkward yet incredible sight.
This successful landing was a major triumph for SpaceX engineers, reinforcing the idea that the company’s ambitious plans to use a massive reusable booster to launch an equally massive reusable spacecraft, the Starship, on a regular basis could become a reality. This development could significantly increase the amount of cargo SpaceX can transport to orbit, both for itself and its customers, including the US government, in the second half of this decade.
The cost per tonne of launching payloads into orbit is also expected to plummet. Citigroup estimates that SpaceX’s semi-reusable Falcon 9 rockets, which are flown frequently, have already reduced launch costs by a factor of ten. A fully reusable Starship could reduce costs even further, potentially making the leap in spaceflight technology the most significant since the 1960s.
Further evidence that such advancements are close at hand came when, about an hour after the booster returned to the pad, the Starship itself successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Unlike the booster, the Starship must re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at orbital velocities exceeding 26,000 kilometres per hour. During this test flight, the heat shielding, which protects the craft during re-entry, performed much better than it had in June’s previous test, though not perfectly. Some of the Starship’s structure was visibly burning, causing concern among the SpaceX employees watching the live feed. Nevertheless, the Starship executed its landing manoeuvres as planned and splashed down in the intended location, with the return captured on camera by a buoy placed specifically for that purpose.

The flight showcased how far SpaceX is ahead of its competition. The engineers were able to recover their booster thanks to years of experience landing the smaller Falcon 9 first stages. Since 2015, SpaceX has landed over 300 Falcon 9 first stages, which have their own landing legs, eliminating the need for mid-air capture. No other rocket company has achieved a reusable first stage yet, although some are close. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to test a similar rocket in the coming months, while RocketLab, a smaller startup, aims to launch one next year. Several Chinese companies are also working on this technology.
SpaceX still has more tests ahead. It must demonstrate that the Starship can switch its engines on and off in space, achieve a proper orbit, and then safely return to Earth, eventually landing in the arms of a gantry. However, SpaceX is known for its rapid pace of testing. After completing two test flights in 2023, this was the third in 2024, and the frequency is expected to increase. This success suggests that while there may be setbacks, the company could achieve initial operational capability within a few years.
Once operational, Starship will have plenty of missions. NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims for crewed human landings on the Moon, relies heavily on Starship’s ability to reach orbit regularly—perhaps as often as once a week. SpaceX’s plans to expand its Starlink satellite network, which already has over 6,000 satellites in orbit, also hinge on the Starship’s capabilities. Additionally, Elon Musk’s long-term goal of colonising Mars is still in play. He has mentioned plans to send five uncrewed Starships to Mars by 2026, with crewed missions following shortly after.
While Musk’s broader vision for Mars includes safeguarding civilisation, it also ties into his controversial political views, including his support for the re-election of Donald Trump and his use of the social network X as a platform for spreading misinformation. These aspects have raised concerns, but with the Super Heavy booster safely in its cradle, the prospect of reaching Mars looks more tangible than ever.