SpaceX achieves first mid-air catch of Starship upper stage after orbital flight
SpaceX successfully caught Starship's upper stage using mechanical arms in Texas, though the Super Heavy booster missed its planned recovery and landed in the ocean.
SpaceX achieved a major aerospace milestone on Saturday as the upper stage of its Starship vehicle successfully returned from an orbital flight and was caught mid-air by mechanical arms at the company's Texas launch tower. The 50-metre spacecraft landed back at its origin roughly 22 hours after liftoff.
While the primary spacecraft was recovered safely, the mission did not achieve a double capture. The lower Super Heavy booster was diverted to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico following technical concerns, with some reports indicating it subsequently exploded upon ocean impact. Despite the booster issue, NASA remains reliant on Starship's continued progress for its upcoming Artemis lunar missions.
Sources: BBC News, France24, La Vanguardia, Marca, Tagesschau
How outlets assessed this
- FAZ Critical Framed the outcome as a failure and major setback for Elon Musk's space ambitions.
- Le Figaro Neutral Factual reporting focusing on the technical decision to forego the first-stage recovery.
- The Guardian Supportive Emphasized the historic nature of the launch and the ambitious goals of the ongoing test.
- FAZ Critical Framed the test flight primarily as a failure and setback for Elon Musk's Mars ambitions.
- The Guardian Neutral Focused on the historical attempt at reusability and the planned 22-hour orbital flight schedule.
- Nov 15, 2026, 03:00 AM UTC
- La Vanguardia Supportive Framed the mission as a triumphant return to Earth and a major victory for space exploration and NASA.
- Marca Skeptical Emphasized the failure to achieve a double capture and highlighted the booster's explosion as a setback for reusability.
Sources
- Marca — Elon Musk se queda sin la doble captura de Starship tras la explosión del propulsor de SpaceX
- BBC News — 'Can you believe it?': SpaceX catches part of its Starship rocket on return to Earth
- La Vanguardia — SpaceX consigue que su nave Starship regrese por primera vez sana y salva a su base
- France24 — SpaceX's Starship completes first-ever mid-air catch after return from orbit
- Tagesschau — Erfolg für SpaceX: "Starship"-Rakete kehrt zur Startrampe zurück
Earlier coverage
- Nov 15, 2026, 02:00 AM UTCSpaceX achieves first successful catch of upper Starship stage after orbital test
- Nov 14, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCSpaceX Starship booster crashes during ambitious recovery attempt
- Nov 14, 2026, 05:30 AM UTCSpaceX Starship test flight encounters technical setback during catch attempt
- Nov 13, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCSpaceX aims for double rocket catch in upcoming Starship test flight