Watch: SpaceX's Starship completes first-ever midair catch on return from orbit
SpaceX's Starship spacecraft returned from its mission with a successful midair recovery by mechanical arms. The spacecraft completed 14 orbits while deploying 26 satellites before returning to Earth. However, the Super Heavy booster failed its recovery attempt shortly after launch, resulting in its destruction. The heat shield of the spacecraft performed well, indicating progress toward full…
On Saturday, SpaceX's Starship spacecraft completed its maiden mid-air catch after a 22-hour orbit, marking a significant milestone in Elon Musk's quest for a fully reusable rocket system. The stainless steel vessel descended through clouds over SpaceX's Texas launch tower, reigniting its engines to come to a safe landing. The giant mechanical arms, named Mechazilla, captured the spacecraft, which then settled into the arms and remained suspended above the ground after its engines shut down.
SpaceX shared a video of the historic landing, with officials hailing the achievement as a crucial step towards full reusability. The rocket's 22-hour journey included 14 orbits and the deployment of 26 satellites. The mission was SpaceX's 15th full-scale Starship mission and its second trip to orbit. However, the Super Heavy booster, which carried the spacecraft, failed to complete its own recovery attempt shortly after liftoff, with engineers investigating the cause of the failure.
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