SpaceX Makes History As Starship Spacecraft Is Caught By Launch Tower In First-Ever Feat

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has successfully caught its Starship spacecraft using giant mechanical arms at its Texas launch site for the first time, marking a major milestone in the company’s efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket system. The spacecraft returned from a 22-hour orbital journey on Saturday, November 14, and was caught by the launch tower’s mechanical arms, nicknamed “chopsticks”, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

The achievement came during Starship’s 15th test flight, although SpaceX did not manage to recover both stages of the rocket as planned. While the upper-stage spacecraft completed its journey and returned to the launch pad, the Super Heavy booster failed to make its own landing attempt shortly after Friday’s launch. The successful spacecraft recovery nevertheless marked the first time an orbital Starship had been caught at its launch tower.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk congratulated the team following the achievement and shared videos of the spacecraft suspended between the tower’s mechanical arms. “Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement!” the company said in a post on X.

Starship Completes 14 Orbits, Deploys 26 Starlink Satellites

The spacecraft, identified as Starship 42, spent approximately 22 hours in space, completing 14 orbits around Earth before returning to Starbase. During the mission, it deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites into orbit at an altitude of around 161 miles (260 km). The flight was the longest mission undertaken by the Starship programme so far.

After completing its orbital journey, Starship began its descent towards Earth, navigating the intense heat generated during atmospheric re-entry. It then reignited its engines to turn into a vertical position before slowly approaching the launch tower, where two enormous mechanical arms secured the spacecraft. SpaceX officials said the spacecraft and its heat shield appeared to have performed well during the flight and return.

SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot described the achievement as a major breakthrough for the company. “That was the Holy Grail of spaceflight, plummeting through fire to be snatched out of the air by steel. We caught a Starship and now, everything changes,” he said during the company's livestream.

Failed Booster Recovery Highlights Remaining Challenges

The mission had initially aimed to recover both the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy first-stage booster. However, the booster failed to complete its return to the launch tower after its engines stopped firing earlier than planned. Its guidance system detected that it was not in the correct position for a tower catch and automatically diverted it towards a water landing in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX said engineers were investigating the cause.

SpaceX has previously caught the Super Heavy booster three times, but recovering the Starship spacecraft presents a more complex engineering challenge because it returns from a much higher altitude and at greater speeds. The latest achievement is therefore a significant step towards the company's ambition of recovering and reusing both stages of its rocket.

The Starship programme is central to Musk's plans for carrying cargo and eventually people to the Moon and Mars. NASA also expects a modified version of the spacecraft to serve as a lunar lander under its Artemis programme. However, challenges remain, including making the heat shield reusable with minimal refurbishment and developing the technology needed to transfer fuel between spacecraft in orbit.