SpaceX’s Starship returned to Earth on Saturday, captured by giant mechanical arms after a 22‑hour flight, marking the first-ever capture of a Starship from space.
The rocket launched Friday from near the U.S.-Mexico border, separated cleanly from its booster, and placed 26 Starlink satellites into orbit. The booster’s engines shut down prematurely, causing it to self‑destruct, while the spacecraft completed 14 orbits at an altitude of 165 miles.
The dramatic capture demonstrated Starship’s full reusability, a goal pursued by Elon Musk and his team, and followed three prior successful booster catches that validated the technique. NASA praised the outcome, noting the vehicle’s role in the Artemis program and Musk’s broader vision for lunar and Martian missions.
SpaceX plans to begin launches from Kennedy Space Center within months, supporting Artemis missions that will dock crew capsules with Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, with a lunar landing targeted for 2028.
Source: abc7.com
