The 233-foot-long booster was caught by giant "chop-stick" arms during landing. This technical breakthrough on a rocket eventually headed to Mars demonstrated that it can be used over and over, like a jetliner.

At the flight director’s command, the first-stage booster flew back to the launch pad where it had blasted off seven minutes earlier. The launch tower’s monstrous metal arms, dubbed chopsticks, caught the descending 232-foot (71-meter) stainless steel booster and gripped it tightly, dangling it well above the ground.