SpaceX achieves first successful catch of upper Starship stage after orbital test
SpaceX successfully caught the upper stage of its Starship rocket with launch tower arms in Texas, marking a major milestone in full rocket reusability.
SpaceX successfully completed a historic mid-air catch of the upper stage of its Starship rocket at the Starbase facility in Texas on Saturday following a 22-hour orbital flight. The 50-metre spacecraft returned to the launch site, where giant mechanical arms attached to the launch tower caught the vehicle mid-air.
While the lower Super Heavy booster was diverted to a splashdown in the ocean due to technical issues earlier in the 15th test mission, the upper stage successfully orbited Earth before attempting its first recovery. The accomplishment marks a key milestone in SpaceX's efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket system capable of rapid turnaround for space exploration.
Sources: BBC News, France24, ORF, Tagesschau, The Guardian
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.
- 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
- BBC News — SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket
- The Guardian — SpaceX Starship megarocket blasts off before expected return for reuse
- ORF — SpaceX fängt Riesen-Rakete Starship erstmals wieder auf
- 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, 03:00 AM UTCSpaceX achieves first mid-air catch of Starship upper stage after orbital flight
- 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