SpaceX makes history with first-ever Starship catch after orbital flight
SpaceX has successfully recovered its Starship spacecraft using the mechanical arms of a launch tower for the first time, marking a major breakthrough in the company's efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket system, Qazinform News Agency cites Al Jazeera.
The historic maneuver took place on Saturday at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, where the spacecraft returned after spending approximately 22 hours in space.
Having completed 14 orbits around Earth at an altitude of approximately 265 kilometers, Starship reentered the atmosphere and approached the launch site. The spacecraft descended toward the launch site, where giant mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower successfully caught it as it returned from space.
The mission was the 15th full-scale Starship test flight since 2023 and the second to reach orbit.
Standing approximately 124 meters tall when fully assembled, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket system. SpaceX is developing it for satellite launches, future lunar missions, and eventual human exploration of Mars.
The company is also preparing to expand Starship operations beyond Texas, with launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida expected in the coming months.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that SpaceX had planned to catch both its Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft during a test flight as part of its efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket system.