As SpaceX rejoices its Starship ‘catch’, here’re 8 historical firsts it achieved

Oct 14, 2024

Credit: iStock

A portfolio of "firsts"

SpaceX just achieved a massive space milestone by catching its Starship Super Heavy booster, furthering its legacy of “firsts” in space exploration and reusable rocket technology. Here are 8 of the most significant achievements that set SpaceX apart:

Credit: iStock

First Privately Funded Liquid-Fueled Rocket to Reach Orbit (2008)

Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach Earth orbit.

Credit: iStock

First Privately Developed Rocket to Dock with the ISS (2012)

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS, a milestone for commercial spaceflight.

Credit: NASA

First Landing of an Orbital-Class Rocket (2015)

Falcon 9 successfully landed its first stage booster on solid ground, marking the first recovery of an orbital-class rocket.

Credit: NASA

First Rocket to Land on a Drone Ship at Sea (2016)

SpaceX achieved a sea landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” proving remote landing capabilities.

Credit: NASA

First Reflight of an Orbital-Class Rocket (2017)

SpaceX reused an orbital-class rocket, with a previously flown Falcon 9 booster successfully launching and landing again.

Credit: NASA

First Private Company to Launch Astronauts into Orbit (2020)

The Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission marked the first time a private company sent astronauts into orbit.

Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

First All-Civilian Spaceflight (2021)

The Inspiration4 mission carried four civilians into Earth orbit, achieving the first all-civilian mission.

Credit: NASA

First Successful Starship Booster Catch (2024)

SpaceX became the first to successfully catch a booster with its Starship Super Heavy, using a catch mechanism rather than a traditional landing platform.

Credit: @SpaceX/via X