SpaceX's Starship has successfully launched its fifth test flight from a launch pad in Texas.

The launch was the company's first attempt to bring the rocket's massive first-stage booster back to land using giant robotic arms.

The Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy rocket are designed to transport crew and cargo to the moon and beyond – and are reusable.

In this most recent test flight, the Super Heavy booster returned to Boca Chica on the border with Mexico, where the launch tower “caught” it with so-called “chopsticks.”

The “chopsticks” are more like metal arms or giant tongs. See the tweet below for a video demonstration.

The spacecraft will land in the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the launch just yesterday, weeks earlier than expected.

The FAA had previously said that a decision on Starship 5 was not expected until the end of November.

However, it said Elon Musk's company had “complied with all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.”

It also approved Starship 6's mission profile.

Musk has heavily criticized the FAA – including for the delay in approving the license for Starship 5, which SpaceX said was ready in August.

SpaceX describes Starship as the world's “most powerful launch vehicle ever developed,” capable of carrying up to 150 tons.

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