Elon Musk’s company has, for the first time in history, managed to return a rocket booster to its launch pad. In all previous tests, Starship either crashed or returned differently than the developers had planned. Let’s explore why this event became a breakthrough in space exploration and how it will help humanity in the colonization of Mars
What happened?
On Sunday, October 13, SpaceX launched its massive rocket on its most daring test flight yet. The 400-foot-tall (121 meters) Starship took off at dawn in Texas near the Mexican border. It arced over the Gulf of Mexico, much like four previous rockets. However, unlike those, it didn’t fall into the sea or get destroyed after liftoff. After seven minutes of flight, the booster returned to the launch pad, where it was caught by metal arms nicknamed “chopsticks.”
What is Starship?
Starship is the name of the reusable space transportation system developed by Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX. It consists of a spacecraft of the same name and the Super Heavy booster (first stage). It is the largest, heaviest, and most powerful launch vehicle in history.

What is Starship needed for?
Since Starship is a multifunctional system, it can perform various tasks. Here are the main ones:
1. Cargo delivery to space. SpaceX also plans to use a cargo version of Starship to launch the next generation of Starlink satellites, which are too large and heavy for the Falcon 9 rockets.
2. Interplanetary transportation. SpaceX intends to use the system for Mars exploration and colonization. Another modification of the ship will be used to land astronauts at the Moon’s South Pole as part of the Artemis program.
3. Commercial flights over long distances on Earth. Preliminary estimates suggest that Starship could cover the distance from New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes.

What makes Starship different from other spacecraft?
All manned spacecraft today have a capsule design, meaning only the crew capsule returns to Earth, descending on parachutes, while everything else burns up in the atmosphere. Starship, on the other hand, is a fully reusable ship that takes off and lands vertically using its own engines.
It is also one of the most powerful rockets ever created, capable of carrying enormous payloads beyond Earth’s orbit. In comparison, modern rockets can only partially place cargo in orbit and require additional stages for farther missions.
Why is the successful launch of Starship so important for space exploration?
This is truly a historic moment and a massive leap forward for the space industry. Up until now, developing fully reusable space systems has been a complex task. Each launch of traditional rockets costs hundreds of millions of dollars, with most of these funds spent on components that burn up or are destroyed upon returning to Earth.
Starship is a top-tier rocket that, according to experts, will dominate space exploration through the 21st century. It’s massive yet inexpensive to build, versatile, and will open new opportunities for space exploration, scientific projects, and commercial space tourism. According to Robert Zubrin, president of Pioneer Astronautics, the cost of using Starship for lunar missions will be only 1% of the cost of programs based on the Saturn V rocket of the 1960s or the modern SLS rocket at comparable prices.

When will Starship be ready for human flights?
SpaceX plans for Starship to be ready for human flights in the next few years. However, for this to become a reality, many more tests need to be conducted. The company is already testing takeoffs and landings, but flights with passengers require Starship to prove its reliability and safety.
To achieve this, it must go through several stages of certification and approval from regulatory bodies. It is expected that the first crewed missions could take place as early as the late 2020s, including as part of the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon.
Will Starship really help colonize Mars?
Yes, Starship is being developed with the goal of colonizing Mars. This is one of the most ambitious goals of the project. The rocket can transport large payloads to the Red Planet, including equipment for building habitats, life support systems, and everything necessary to create autonomous colonies. Since it is reusable, it will be able to transport people and cargo back and forth, making interplanetary travel more regular and accessible. However, this will require many more years of research, development, and successful missions.

What’s next after the successful launch?
After the successful launch, SpaceX will continue to test and refine the system. The next stage is increasing the reliability of the rockets and preparing for the first full-scale mission. In the coming years, Starship will deliver payloads into orbit, participate in NASA’s Artemis lunar mission, and then make its first flights to Mars.
SpaceX also plans to launch regular commercial flights, offering space travel not only for scientists and researchers but also for tourists. There are many more tests ahead, but each successful launch brings us closer to a new level of space exploration.