SpaceX’s Starship made a triumphant return to Earth on Saturday, caught in midair by giant mechanical arms where its journey began 22 hours earlier.
\n\nIt was the grand finale that Elon Musk and his team hoped for — the first-ever capture of a Starship flying back from space. But with the first-stage booster exploding shortly after Friday’s liftoff from Texas, the company fell short of its desired double catch, still the goal for accelerating moon and Mars travel.
\n\nWreckage remained in the Gulf of Mexico, cordoned off by buoys, as the stainless steel, bullet-shaped spacecraft lowered itself upright at the launch pad.
\n\nThe dramatic, sci-fi-like capture helped blot out the booster’s messy miss. Cameras panned the spacecraft up and down as it hung high above the ground, supported by the arms of the launch tower.
\n\n“Can you believe it?” SpaceX commentator Dan Huot shouted, dragging out each word. “Look at her! Baby, she’s back!”
\n\nCalling it an “epic day,” Musk later ascended the launch tower to take up-close video with his phone. He even hugged the spacecraft. “Looks great,” he reported via X.
\n\nSpaceX officials said Saturday’s catch demonstrates the full reusability of Starship, crucial for rapid and low-cost recycling.
Original source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/
