Starship Flight 5
On 13 October 2024 SpaceX flew Starship's fifth test flight from Starbase and caught the Super Heavy booster with the chopstick arms of the launch and catch tower on the first attempt. The ship completed a controlled re-entry and a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, and the flight ended 1 hour, 5 minutes and 40 seconds after launch.
What happened
- Watch this moment · 0:22
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Watch this moment · 1:00
Hot staging and boostback
The ship's engines lit while it was still attached to the booster, and the booster made its boostback burn.
- Watch this moment · 1:04
- Watch this moment · 2:24
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Watch this moment · 3:08
Peak heating and landing
Starship approached peak heating on entry, and landed in the target area in the Indian Ocean.
Key facts
| Vehicle | Starship, Super Heavy |
|---|---|
| Mission name | Starship Flight 5 |
| Launch site | Starbase, Texas |
| Crew size | 0 |
| Duration | 1 hour, 5 minutes |
| Outcome | Success |
Further reading
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Starship flights 1 to 14, and the ship catch to come
Thirty-three engines on the booster, six on the ship, fourteen flights. Starship went from a pad-destroying debut in April 2023 to orbit and 26 Starlink V3 satellites on 28 September 2026. This is what each flight tested, what broke, the videos to watch in order, and what the planned ship catch on Flight 15 would add. SpaceX has not published a launch date.
Read the collection : Starship flights 1 to 14, and the ship catch to come
Videos about this mission
The videos, in date order
Drag, zoom or press play to watch them on this page.
November 2024 – November 2026
Drag to explore dates · Select a video to preview.
Dates are when each video was first published on YouTube.
The catch
The idea is to save the legs. Instead of landing on legs, the booster hovers beside the tower and the arms close around it. Video 54 shows the final go call and the capture. The flight ended 1 hour, 5 minutes and 40 seconds after launch, as SpaceX states.
Questions and answers
When was Flight 5?
On 13 October 2024.
What was caught?
The Super Heavy booster, by the chopstick arms of the tower at Starbase.
What happened to the ship?
It completed a controlled re-entry and splashed down in the target area in the Indian Ocean.
How long did the flight last?
1 hour, 5 minutes and 40 seconds.
Sources: The facts and written text on this page come from the 2 videos on this page, by SpaceX, look what's inside.
