SpaceX successfully lands Mars prototype rocket for first time

By Kaelan Deese

Published May 6, 2021 3:49pm ET

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SpaceX successfully lands Mars prototype rocket for first time — In this photo from Monday, a Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Falcon Heavy launched Tuesday afternoon with three first-stage boosters, strapped together with 27 engines in all. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) | Terry Renna

A prototype rocket SpaceX hopes to send to Mars one day completed its first successful high-altitude test Wednesday by safely touching down on a landing pad.

Other prototypes of the Starship rocket technically launched successfully in four previous tests, though Wednesday’s rocket was the first to reach a high altitude and land in one piece.

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