De Terra Ad Astra

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After several delays due to weather, Lisa and I finally were able to witness a Space X launch of Starship and the spectacular catch of the Super Heavy Booster it rode atop of on Starship Flight 7.

January 16, 2025 was a beautiful, cloudless day that managed to find its way into an otherwise wet and dreary January so far. Excitement was high as the day wore on to the 4:00 PM launch while crowds of people made their way into the backyard of our winter home on South Padre Island.

Lisa and I walked down to the beach in order to have an unobstructive view across the Brazos Santiago Pass 5 miles from the Space X launch facility. We found we had to be mobile on the sand as several tourist boats (including a pirate ship!) kept criss-crosssing between us and the launch pad. In the end, we had a clear view and the ships made for some interesting photos.

The launch was amazing, but watching the booster fall from the sky after separating from Starship and then re-ignite its engines shortly before being “caught” by the launch tower “chopsticks” was simply unbelievable. It seemed surreal at the time and the video I took of the event appears to be computer generated.

While Starship would go on to unexpectedly explode over the Bahamas, it was entirely successful from our vantage point on the sand. In fact, I would put this rocket launch and catch right up there with the total eclipse we witnessed a year ago in terms of life experiences — one nature and the other science. It is truly something we will never forget.