SpaceX Starship Returns From Orbit in Milestone for Reusable Rockets
SpaceX used its launch tower’s mechanical arms to catch a Starship spacecraft on Saturday, Nov. 14, roughly 22 hours after launching it from the same South Texas site. It was the first time the upper stage of the world’s largest rocket had traveled into orbit, survived atmospheric reentry, and been caught at its launch site. […]
On Saturday, November 14, SpaceX successfully recovered the upper stage of its Starship spacecraft after an orbital flight, marking a significant milestone in the development of reusable rockets. The spacecraft, which had launched from South Texas two days earlier, completed 14 orbits before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. At nearly 17,000 miles per hour, it had to endure the intense heat of re-entry and then gently descend, guided by the launch tower's mechanical arms, colloquially known as "chopsticks."
This was the first time any stage of the world's largest rocket had traveled into orbit, survived atmospheric re-entry, and been caught at its launch site. While the upper stage returned intact, the Super Heavy booster failed to make it back, being destroyed over the Gulf of Mexico due to a fuel leak during its boost-back maneuver.
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