Elon Musk’s SpaceX catches Starship spacecraft mid-air, achieves historic first: Video

On Saturday, SpaceX achieved a historic milestone by successfully capturing its Starship spacecraft mid-air during a return to Earth. This feat was accomplished using massive mechanical arms known as chopstick arms, positioned above Launch Pad 2 at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. The spacecraft, which had endured the extreme heat of re-entering Earth's atmosphere, emerged from thick clouds and began its descent.

As it approached the ground, the chopstick arms swiftly grabbed the vehicle, securing it between the two towering structures. This first-ever mid-air recovery of a Starship marks a significant stride towards the development of fully reusable rockets. Such advancements could potentially reduce the cost of space missions and facilitate more frequent launches.

The achievement was met with enthusiastic celebrations from spectators gathered along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. SpaceX's official livestream broadcasted the spacecraft's final descent, accompanied by the 1977 hit song "Baby Come Back." SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot expressed that this accomplishment was the "Holy Grail of spaceflight," emphasizing that catching a Starship has fundamentally changed the landscape of space travel.