SpaceX Launches Starship But Passes Up Booster Catch for Safety's Sake

What happened

This 15th flight test still has a chance to make history: The mission plan calls for the Starship second stage to spend as much as 22 hours in orbit — ending with a return to the pad for a midair capture by the launch tower's giant extendable arms. SpaceX is a space company based in Hawthorne.

SpaceX sent its Starship on a flight that was meant to feature a first-ever retrieval of both rocket stages, but a launch-pad catch of the first-stage booster had to be canceled due to safety concerns. Instead, the Super Heavy booster was diverted during its descent to make an offshore splashdown.

Observers at SpaceX's Starbase on the South Texas coast could see the fiery plunge that took place minutes after launch at 4:47 p.m. "Wow, you could feel the rumble of that splashdown there," launch commentator Jessie Anderson said. SpaceX has caught Starship's booster during three previous test flights, but this would be a first for the second stage.