SpaceX pulls off first Starship recovery from orbit in spectacular fashion
It was the first recovery of a Starship from orbit, a major milestone for a rocket SpaceX founder Elon Musk says will dramatically lower launch costs.
On Saturday, SpaceX's Starship rocket completed its first orbit-class rocket recovery in a spectacular display, landing vertically on its Texas Gulf Coast launch site. Employees gathered to cheer as the rocket's three Raptor engines restarted, slowing the rocket to a near hover before being captured by mechanical arms on the launch gantry.
This marked the first recovery of a Starship from orbit, a major milestone in SpaceX's pursuit of a fully reusable orbit-class rocket. The Starship, which stands 407 feet tall, was launched atop a Super Heavy booster and completed its 15th test flight. While a Super Heavy booster was lost during the flight, SpaceX remains confident in its timeline for fully reusable Starship flights.
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