TEXAS, Nov 15: Elon Musk's SpaceX caught a returning Starship spacecraft with giant mechanical arms at its Starbase launch site in Texas, marking the first time a vehicle that had travelled to orbit was caught after returning to Earth.
Starship's 15th test flight began on November 13. During its nearly 22-hour mission, the spacecraft completed 14 orbits of Earth and deployed 26 Starlink satellites into orbit.
After re-entering Earth's atmosphere, Starship returned to the designated site. Two giant mechanical arms attached to the Starbase launch tower caught the spacecraft in mid-air.
The system, known as Mechazilla, recovered the spacecraft without allowing it to land on the ground.
However, the return and recovery plan for the Super Heavy Booster, the first-stage rocket that carried Starship into space, failed. Due to a problem with its guidance system, the booster was directed towards the Gulf of Mexico and exploded before hitting the water.
The success marked a significant step towards SpaceX's goal of building a fully reusable spacecraft. NASA also welcomed the development, with Starship planned for use in the Artemis mission to send astronauts to the Moon.
