SpaceX catches Starship upper stage in midair after return from orbit

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft returned from orbit on Saturday and was caught in midair by mechanical arms on its launch tower at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas, according to the Washington Examiner and CBS News.

The spacecraft had launched Friday aboard a Super Heavy booster and completed 14 laps around Earth at an altitude of 165 miles (265 kilometers), the Washington Examiner reports. CBS News says the Starship remained in space for 22 hours before reentering the atmosphere, flipping vertical, and settling into the grasp of two huge mechanical arms on its launch gantry.

Booster loss

The Super Heavy booster did not return to the launch site. CBS News reports the booster was diverted to an offshore splashdown because of a guidance problem, ran out of fuel, and exploded moments before hitting the water. SpaceX commentator Dan Huot said the booster’s engines stopped firing too soon on the way back down, and its guidance system automatically initiated the watery detour and self-destruction, according to the Washington Examiner.

Elon Musk described the issue on X as a "slight underperformance of engines," CBS News reports, and said "these early ships and boosters are already outdated by improved designs in production or on the test stand." He added that "This booster loss does not change our timeline to reach high volume, fully reusable Starship flights."

Significance

The catch was the first recovery of a Starship vehicle from orbit, CBS News reports. The Verge notes SpaceX had previously performed "chopstick" catches of boosters, but this was the first time the maneuver succeeded on the Starship vehicle itself. SpaceX officials said the catch demonstrates the full reusability of Starship, which the company says is crucial for rapid and low-cost recycling, according to the Washington Examiner.

NASA is paying billions of dollars for Starship to land Artemis astronauts on the moon and help build a permanent lunar base, the Washington Examiner reports. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said via X, "It was almost magic," and "Making more believers by the day … one step closer to (emojis of the moon and the U.S. flag)."

Why it matters

The successful upper-stage capture marks a milestone in SpaceX’s drive to develop the first fully reusable orbit-class rocket, CBS News reports. Company founder Elon Musk says the vehicle will dramatically lower the cost of launching payloads to Earth orbit, the moon, and eventually Mars. NASA wants to use a variant of Starship to carry astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, and multiple Super Heavy-tanker flights will be needed to refuel the lander in Earth orbit before it can head for the moon, according to CBS News.

---

Sources

• washingtonexaminer.com: SpaceX's Starship returns from orbit and is captured by launch pad arms in a dramatic first
• cbsnews.com: SpaceX pulls off dramatic midair catch of Starship rocket after fiery plunge from orbit - CBS News
• theverge.com: Watch SpaceX successfully execute the first ‘chopstick’ catch of Starship | The Verge

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.