SpaceX made engineering history Sunday during a test flight of its massive Starship rocket, catching the returning booster with mechanical arms called “chopsticks” as it descended back to the launch pad.

The nearly 400-foot-long Starship rocket, which is designed to be reusable, was launched from the company’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village in South Texas.

As the 70-meter Super Heavy booster detached and fell back to Earth, the booster’s 33 Raptor engines roared to slow its return to the launch site. The booster slowly fell into the metal arms of the tower and hooked itself into place on the very first attempt to use the new capture method.

“The tower caught the missile!!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.

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The launch pad tower is equipped with SpaceX Kate Tice’s mechanical arms called “chopsticks,” although fans have nicknamed the feature “Mechazilla.”

SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster is captured by mechanical arms as it lands during the fifth SpaceX Starships flight test in Boca Chica, Texas, on Sunday. (REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal / Reuters Photos)

SpaceX commentators during the launch broadcast described the technical feat as magical.

SpaceX’s Starship takes off on its fifth test flight on Sunday in Boca Chica, Texas. (REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal / Reuters Photos)

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“Even today, what we just saw is magic,” said SpaceX’s Dan Huot. “I’m shaking right now.”

SpaceX’s Starship will fly on its fifth test flight in Boca Chica, Texas, on Sunday. (REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal / Reuters Photos)

“Folks, this is a day for the tech history books,” Tice added.

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The test flight marks another step toward Musk’s vision of sending people and supplies into space, with his ultimate goal of sending crewed missions to Mars.