'Feels like Sci-Fi': Google's Pichai hails Starship

Google CEO Sundar Pichai likened the recent success of SpaceX's Starship to a scene from science fiction, expressing amazement at the feat. The SpaceX Starship, a massive spacecraft, soared into orbit before returning to Earth and landing upright on a launch pad, an incredibly rare event. This monumental achievement marks the first time an orbital rocket's upper stage has made a controlled, upright landing at its launch site using SpaceX's giant mechanical arms, nicknamed "Mechazilla."

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated the engineers and teams behind the mission, acknowledging the seemingly impossible nature of the accomplishment. He praised the SpaceX team on X, noting that the event was "almost magical." NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman echoed the sentiment, describing the achievement as almost magical and calling it a step closer to the moon. SpaceX also took to X to celebrate the historic maneuver, highlighting the successful catch of Starship by Mechazilla.

The Starship spacecraft launched from Starbase in Texas on Friday as part of its 15th flight, marking a significant milestone for SpaceX's long-standing effort to make rockets fully reusable. The Super Heavy booster, the first stage of the Starship launch system, ascended the rocket and separated from Starship for the return journey. After reaching orbit, Starship deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites before returning to Earth.

The successful catch of Starship by Mechazilla represents a significant breakthrough in SpaceX's mission to make rocket reusability a reality. Unlike traditional rocket operations, where upper stages are typically discarded after each mission, SpaceX aims to recover and potentially reuse both stages of the Starship launch system. This move could reduce the need to discard expensive rocket hardware, making space exploration more cost-effective and sustainable.