Google CEO Sundar Pichai has congratulated Elon Musk as SpaceX successfully ‘caught’ the 233-foot rocket booster on Sunday as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight. Elon Musk shared a video of the Starship rocket booster being caught on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Sharing the news, Musk wrote “The tower has caught the rocket!!” referring to the groundbreaking achievement at the launch site.
The milestone being termed as an ‘engineering feat’ gained widespread attention and praise from the aerospace community and beyond, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai replied to Musk’s post, saying “Huge congrats, have to admit, rewatched the video many times over, incredible to see!”
Take a look at Sundar Pichai’s tweet congratulating Elon Musk
SpaceX creates history
Towering almost 400 feet (121 meters), the empty Starship blasted off at 7:25 am CT (4:55 IST) from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas launch facilities. In the second stage, the Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship at an altitude of roughly 70 km to begin its return to land.
The rocket’s Super Heavy booster re-lit three of its 33 Raptor engines to slow its speedy descent back to the launch site, as it targeted the launch pad and tower it had blasted off from. The 233 foot (71 metres)-tall Super Heavy booster fell into the launch tower’s enclosing arms, hooking itself in place by tiny, protruding bars under the four forward grid fins.
Company employees erupted in joy, jumping and pumping their fists into the air as the stainless steel booster slowly descended into the launch tower’s arms. NASA also joined in the celebration, with Administrator Bill Nelson extending his congratulations.
