SpaceX has recently released a series of dramatic close-up images showcasing the monumental 70-meter-tall Super Heavy booster during both the beginning and end of its groundbreaking trial flight on Sunday. For the first time in history, this massive rocket was safely returned to Earth post-flight.

The released images capture the Super Heavy’s Raptor engines brilliantly illuminated during the rocket’s takeoff from SpaceX’s Starbase facility located in Boca Chica, Texas. This was the fifth test flight for the massive vehicle, and the images also depict its landing, where it was secured by colossal mechanical arms on the launchpad approximately seven minutes post-takeoff.

SpaceX characterized this fifth trial flight of the Starship – which includes the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft – as its most daring yet. This venture is crucial in demonstrating techniques that are fundamental to the Starship and Super Heavy’s completely and rapidly reusable design.

The company’s engineers successfully met thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria before the Super Heavy booster could be caught by the mechanical arms. Previous Starship trial flights often ended with the booster either detonating midair or being discarded into the sea.

Despite the booster receiving most of the attention on Sunday due to its remarkable return, the Starship spacecraft also had a triumphant flight. It successfully separated from the Super Heavy and ignited its six Raptor engines to propel it into orbit.

The Starship then coasted along its planned trajectory to the other side of the planet before executing a controlled reentry. After passing through the phases of peak heating and maximum aerodynamic pressure, it carried out a flip, landing burn, and splashdown at its target area in the Indian Ocean. The entire flight test concluded 1 hour and 5 minutes after launch when the spacecraft splashed down in the ocean.

The entire SpaceX team should take immense pride in their engineering achievement. The world observed what the future might look like when Starship begins to transport crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond.

In a previous interview, Elon Musk outlined how SpaceX intended to bring the Super Heavy booster home. He described a custom-built tower with arms designed to catch the largest flying and heaviest flying object ever made and pluck it out of the air.

Most observers were of the view that the first landing attempt would likely end in failure, so it was a truly special moment when the booster landed between the mechanical arms on the very first attempt.