SpaceX catches Starship after blistering 17,000 mph orbital return in historic first

What happened

The achievement came Saturday, November 14, after the spacecraft completed its longest orbital flight yet. The recovery followed Starship’s 15th test flight, which began Friday evening.

SpaceX has successfully caught its Starship spacecraft at the launch tower for the first time, marking a major milestone in reusable rocket development. It returned to Starbase in South Texas and landed directly in the tower’s mechanical arms. SpaceX is a space company based in Hawthorne.

SpaceX had planned to retrieve both stages using its giant launch tower. However, the Super Heavy booster aborted its landing attempt after a low-fuel warning.