SpaceX successfully caught an orbiting Starship vehicle for the first time using giant mechanical arms at its Texas launch facility, marking a critical milestone in developing a fully reusable rocket system designed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The integrated test flight of the massive stainless steel spacecraft achieved orbit following a liftoff from Starbase in Texas on Friday. After separating from its booster, the vehicle completed 14 orbits around the Earth before executing a controlled re-entry and vertical descent back to the launch mount. The projectile-shaped nave stands at more than 50 meters in height, while the complete 124-meter-tall vehicle represents the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
A manobra bem-sucedida ocorreu neste sábado, cerca de 22 horas e 32 minutos após a descolagem. The landing occurred specifically at 18h21 Brasília time, following a flight that began at 19h48 on Friday. During its orbital transit, the ship deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites and streamed live footage back to Earth, culminating in a landing broadcast featuring the 1970s Player classic song “Baby Come Back”.
Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement! pic.twitter.com/YJzmGUZb2B
Despite the historic catch of the upper-stage spacecraft, operations did not go entirely to plan for the lower-stage booster. On Friday, the Super Heavy booster missed the launch tower’s mechanical arms and instead came down in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, reported G1. SpaceX had previously completed three successful booster catches during earlier testing.
| Mission Milestone | Vehicle Component | Outcome on Nov 13-14 Test |
|---|---|---|
| Orbital Transit & Return | Starship (Second Stage) | Captured successfully by Mechazilla tower arms after 14 orbits |
| Booster Recovery | Super Heavy (First Stage) | Diverted into the Gulf of Mexico; recovery attempt failed |
| Payload Deployment | Starlink Satellites | 26 advanced satellites successfully deployed in low-Earth orbit |
Achieving full and rapid reusability remains the central objective for Elon Musk’s aerospace company as it attempts to drastically reduce flight costs and increase launch cadence. While the Falcon rocket family revolutionized the market with partial reusability, Starship is intended to go much further.
Elon Musk holds ambitions to launch a fleet of Starships to build a city on Mars, while the current vehicle also carries designs to send data centers into space.
| Program Goal | Target Timeline / Context | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Artemis 4 Lunar Landing | Expected by NASA in 2028 | Significant technical hurdles remain |
| In-Orbit Refueling | Pending future test flights | Technology demonstration still required |
| Uncrewed Lunar Landing | Required prior to crewed missions | Pending development milestones |
NASA expects the Starship vehicle to land astronauts on the lunar surface during the Artemis 4 mission in 2028. Before that milestone is reached, the company must demonstrate orbital propellant transfer, rapid vehicle reuse, and a safe uncrewed lunar landing.
“Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement!” said SpaceX.
