SpaceX launched the 15th flight of Starship from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Friday, and on Saturday the company’s giant tower arms, nicknamed Mechazilla, caught the returning Starship for the first time ever.
The flight began with liftoff from Starbase, followed by hot-stage separation, where Starship’s Raptor engines ignited while the Super Heavy booster began boosting back toward Starbase. Plans changed mid-flight, and instead of being caught at the tower, the booster was diverted to a splashdown offshore in the Gulf.
Starship itself was cleared to continue toward orbit. Once its ascent burn was complete, the vehicle deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites in a sequence that took about 42 minutes. This marked only the second time Starship has reached orbit.
The spacecraft stayed in orbit for roughly 21 hours before returning to Earth, where Mechazilla caught it. The arms had previously caught the Super Heavy booster, but catching Starship itself is a new milestone. Starship comes in faster than the booster on descent, making the catch more difficult, and SpaceX pulled it off on the first attempt.
SpaceX’s Dan Huot said after the catch: “That was the holy grail of spaceflight, plummeting through fire to be snatched out of the air by steel. We caught a Starship. And now everything changes.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk inspected the vehicle afterward, which he referred to as “Ship 42,” a nod to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” in which 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
The successful catch matters because it removes the need for landing legs on Starship. Without that weight, the vehicle can carry more cargo or fuel. It also opens the door to rapid reuse, which could sharply cut the cost of spaceflight and allow for more frequent launches.
NASA Administrator congratulated Musk and the SpaceX team afterward, writing: “Congrats to @elonmusk and the @SpaceX team! It was almost magic..Making more believers by the day….one step closer to the moon and America.”
