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'Feels like Sci-Fi': Google's Pichai hails Starship

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In short

Starship launched from the Starbase facility in Texas atop a Super Heavy booster powered by 33 Raptor engines before safely separating into orbit. During the mission, the vehicle successfully deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, with ground teams confirming operational contact with all units. After more than 20 hours in orbit, Starship initiated a single-engine deorbit burn and returned to the site 22.5 hours post-launch for a tower catch.

Key points

  • SpaceX completed the first-ever controlled launch-site capture of an orbital upper-stage…: SpaceX completed the first-ever controlled launch-site capture of an orbital upper-stage rocket.
  • The company aims to recover both launch stages to end the practice of discarding orbital…: The company aims to recover both launch stages to end the practice of discarding orbital hardware.
  • High-profile leaders including Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, and Jared Isaacman celebrated th…: High-profile leaders including Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, and Jared Isaacman celebrated the aerospace milestone.

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Washington, DC: Describing the feat as an event that still feels like science fiction, Google CEO Sundar Pichai led global reactions as SpaceX on Saturday (local time) made history by successfully bringing its Starship spacecraft back from orbit and catching it upright in the mechanical arms of its launch tower in an unprecedented manoeuvre that could reshape the future of rocket reusability.

"Congrats @SpaceX for that Starship catch, still feels like science fiction! Watching it live was incredible. Upwards!" Pichai posted on X.

The monumental achievement marks the first time an orbital rocket's upper stage has returned from space and made a controlled, upright landing at its launch site, with the giant mechanical arms of SpaceX's launch tower, nicknamed 'Mechazilla', catching the spacecraft during its descent.

Celebrating the milestone, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulated the engineers and teams behind the mission, acknowledging their efforts in making what appeared to be a science-fiction-like spectacle a reality.

"Congratulations to an incredible team at SpaceX!!!" Musk said in a post on X.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman also congratulated Musk and the SpaceX team,…

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