{
  "id": 19890355,
  "title": "SpaceX's Starship enters Earth's orbit, but booster catch aborted",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacexs-starship-enters-earths-orbit-but-booster-catch-aborted",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-13T23:57:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/11/1577191/spacexs-starship-enters-earths-orbit-booster-catch-aborted"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday, Elon Musk's SpaceX attempted to launch its largest and most powerful rocket, Starship, from Starbase in southern Texas, but the mission was abruptly halted due to a technical issue shortly after liftoff. The 124-meter rocket, named Super Heavy, was intended to enter Earth's orbit, but the booster, dubbed Super Heavy, was left to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the setback, SpaceX claimed that it could still attempt to capture the spaceship, which would be a first in the industry. If successful, this would mark a groundbreaking milestone in the development of fully reusable rocket systems, drastically reducing mission costs and making frequent launches possible. Clayton Swope, an aerospace expert, noted that recovering an upper stage involves significant precision, while Kathleen Curlee, a senior analyst, emphasized the challenges of reentering Earth's atmosphere. Following the high-profile stock market debut, SpaceX carried out the first orbital flight of Starship in September, but had to cut it short due to an engine issue.",
  "summary": "STARBASE: Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Friday aborted the recovery of the booster for the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket, the Starship, but insisted it could yet “catch” the spaceship, which would be a first.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "SpaceX's Starship megarocket will launch to orbit on Nov. 13. Will you be able to spot it in the night sky?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/spacexs-starship-megarocket-will-launch-to-orbit-on-nov-13-will-you",
        "published": "2026-11-12T20:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Science",
        "title": "SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket",
        "published": "2026-11-13T20:12:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket-19886468",
        "published": "2026-11-13T21:09:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour Science",
        "title": "SpaceX's Starship soars into orbit after booster malfunction thwarts double catch attempt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/spacexs-starship-soars-into-orbit-after-booster-malfunction-thwarts",
        "published": "2026-11-14T00:20:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}