On October 13, 2024, SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking engineering feat by successfully launching its Starship rocket and catching the booster stage in mid-air using a mechanical system called “chopsticks” at its Texas launch site. This event marks a critical step in SpaceX’s vision for reusable spaceflight technology, significantly advancing efforts toward making human life interplanetary.
The Starship rocket, nearly 400 feet tall, lifted off at sunrise from the Boca Chica launch pad, arcing over the Gulf of Mexico. After separation, the Super Heavy booster executed a controlled return. It reignited three of its engines to slow its descent and carefully positioned itself into the mechanical arms of the launch tower, which suspended the booster above the ground—seven minutes after launch. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, described the success as “science fiction without the fiction part,” underscoring the monumental nature of this achievement.
Previous attempts by SpaceX to recover Starship components faced challenges, with earlier test flights resulting in explosions either during launch or ocean landings. However, this latest success builds on incremental improvements, including modifications to the thermal protection system and adjustments to the heat shield tiles to ensure the craft’s integrity through reentry.
The Starship system aims to revolutionize both lunar and interplanetary travel. NASA has already selected Starship to land astronauts on the Moon for its Artemis III mission, targeted for 2026. Ultimately, SpaceX envisions using the technology for Mars missions, bringing humanity closer to long-term space colonization goals.
Although the launch was originally delayed due to regulatory reviews by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), SpaceX pressed forward, resolving both technical and environmental concerns. The booster catch is expected to reduce costs by enabling rapid reusability, a cornerstone of SpaceX’s strategy for future missions.
Following its success, the Starship rocket completed a 90-minute orbital test before reentering Earth’s atmosphere. It ended with a simulated ocean landing in the Indian Ocean. However, after lying on its side post-landing, the spacecraft exploded, with analysts still determining whether it was due to a technical fault or an intentional detonation to ensure safety.
This achievement highlights SpaceX’s ongoing innovation in rocketry and spaceflight, solidifying its role in advancing commercial space exploration while also pushing the boundaries for potential Mars colonization.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, IBTimes, and Space.com.
Apple has officially scheduled a press event at its Cupertino, California headquarters for Monday, September 9, where the tech giant is anticipated to unveil the latest iPhone and Apple Watch models. The event will be streamed live on Apple’s website and YouTube, continuing the company’s trend of virtual product launches since 2020.
The invitation for this year’s event carries the tagline “It’s Glowtime,” hinting at a new redesign of the Siri interface. According to analysts and reports from Bloomberg, the upcoming iPhone lineup, possibly named iPhone 16, may feature larger screens on premium models, a revamped camera design, and a new color option. Additionally, Apple’s wearables are expected to debut with a faster chip.
Apple is also expected to announce the release date for iOS 18, the latest version of its iPhone software, which will introduce Apple Intelligence—a suite of AI features designed to enhance everyday tasks like message summarization and image generation. While these features are set to be included in iOS 18, a recent developer preview suggests they may become available shortly after the hardware launch.