SpaceX's Starship rocket completes 5th test flight, returning booster on land

LOS ANGELES - SpaceX completed its fifth test flight of its giant Starship rocket on Sunday, achieving the return of its booster back on the launch pad.

SpaceX launched Starship at about 8:25 am Central Time (1325 GMT) from its Starbase facility near Brownsville, US state of Texas.

The rocket's "Super Heavy" booster returned to land several minutes after launch. The company used the arms of its launch tower to catch the booster, a major milestone toward SpaceX's goal of making Starship a fully reusable rocket system.

Starship spacecraft traveled a similar trajectory in space as in its previous flight test, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, collectively referred to as Starship, represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.