Watch: SpaceX catches Starship in midair on return to launch tower

SpaceX achieved a historic first on Saturday when its Starship rocket returned to Earth and was successfully caught between two mechanical "chopstick" arms. The spacecraft had launched from Starbase in Texas the previous day, orbiting Earth 14 times while deploying 26 satellites for Elon Musk's Starlink internet constellation. After a 22-hour journey, the rocket approached the Texas east coast, igniting its three Raptor engines as it broke through the clouds and initiated its descent back to the launchpad.

SpaceX CEO Musk celebrated the achievement, exclaiming, "I hugged ship 42 upon its return." Crowds gathered outside the Starbase facility erupted in cheers as the mechanical arms enveloped the spaceship for the first time, a moment SpaceX described as "changing everything." Previous rockets have been single-use, making each launch extremely costly. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman referred to the catch as "almost magic," while Musk echoed this sentiment, stating, "Making more believers by the day."

Although SpaceX had attempted to guide a Super Heavy rocket booster back to the launch site following Friday's launch, the effort was not successful. The booster instead performed an offshore splashdown in the Gulf. SpaceX has carried out three previous booster catches, but the guidance, navigation, and control system of the booster triggered an automated abort during coast and redirected itself to the offshore landing location due to low fuel mass. The root cause of the issue is currently under investigation.

The successful return of the rocket's upper stage remains a significant victory for Musk and SpaceX, paving the way for Starship to potentially serve as a landing system for NASA's Artemis Moon landing mission.