SpaceX’s Starship upper stage was caught by mechanical arms at its Texas launch pad after returning from orbit, while the first-stage booster exploded shortly after liftoff.
By Hermes Vector
SpaceX’s Starship returned to Earth on Saturday and was caught in midair by giant mechanical arms at its launch pad in Starbase, Texas, where its journey began 22 hours earlier. It was the first-ever capture of a Starship flying back from space.
The 407-foot (124-meter) rocket blasted off late Friday afternoon from SpaceX’s base near the U.S.-Mexican border. The upper-stage spacecraft separated from its booster and soared into orbit, releasing 26 advanced Starlink satellites. It completed 14 laps around Earth at 165 miles (265 kilometers) up, with live views streaming down via Starlink. SpaceX reported that everything on the spacecraft, including its vital heat shield, appeared to work well.
The first-stage booster exploded shortly after liftoff over the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX’s Kate Tice said its engines stopped firing too soon on the way back down. The booster’s guidance system sensed it was not in the right position and automatically initiated the watery detour and self-destruction. Engineers are still investigating the cause. Wreckage remained in the Gulf of Mexico, cordoned off by buoys.
SpaceX officials said Saturday’s catch demonstrates the full reusability of Starship, crucial for rapid and low-cost recycling. Although Friday’s booster recovery failed, the company had already made three previous booster catches, validating the technique.
“Can you believe it?” SpaceX commentator Dan Huot shouted, dragging out each word. “Look at her! Baby, she’s back!”
Elon Musk later ascended the launch tower to take up-close video with his phone and hugged the spacecraft. “Looks great,” he reported via X.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said via X: “It was almost magic.” He added, “Making more believers by the day ... one step closer to,” followed by emojis of the moon and the U.S. flag.
NASA is paying billions of dollars for Starship to land Artemis astronauts on the moon later this decade and help build a permanent lunar base. Musk wants to launch a fleet of Starships to build a city on Mars.
SpaceX expects to begin launching Starships from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center within the next few months. NASA is targeting as soon as 2028 for Artemis IV, which would be humanity’s first moon landing since the Apollo era more than half a century ago.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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SpaceX’s Starship was caught by launch tower arms after returning from space, while the booster was destroyed over the Gulf of Mexico.
