SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft was caught in midair by giant mechanical arms at its launch tower in Starbase, Texas, on Saturday, November 14, marking a major milestone for the company’s space programme.
The spacecraft returned to Earth after a 22-hour journey, descending upright before being caught by the tower’s mechanical arms. Crowds gathered at the site cheered as Starship was secured above the ground.
The successful capture marked the first time a Starship returning from space had been caught by the launch tower. However, SpaceX did not achieve its planned double catch after the first-stage booster exploded shortly after Friday’s liftoff.
SpaceX plans to begin launching Starships from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in the coming months. The spacecraft is also central to NASA’s plans for future Artemis missions to the Moon.