SpaceX completed its 15th test flight of the 124-metre Starship rocket, successfully catching the returning vehicle with mechanical "chopstick" arms at its Starbase facility. During the mission, the spacecraft orbited Earth 14 times, deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites, and demonstrated solid performance from its heat shield and key operational systems. Despite the midair recovery success, an earlier explosion of the booster after Friday's liftoff remains under active investigation by company engineers.
Key points
NASA relies heavily on the 124-metre Starship vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon for…: NASA relies heavily on the 124-metre Starship vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon for the Artemis programme.
Technical leaders including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacma…: Technical leaders including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly lauded the engineering breakthrough.
Starship is actively being developed to support ambitious future human exploration missio…: Starship is actively being developed to support ambitious future human exploration missions targeting both the Moon and Mars.
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated
SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk after the company achieved its first-ever midair catch of a Starship spacecraft returning from space. Sundar Pichai said the achievement “still feels like science fiction” and added that watching the event live was incredible. Musk responded to the message with a “Thanks”. In a post on X, Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote, “Congrats @SpaceX for that starship catch, still feels like science fiction! Watching it live was incredible. Upwards!” Elon Musk replied to the Google CEO’s message, thanking him.
SpaceX’s Starship captured by launchpad arms
The exchange came after SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft returned to Earth on Saturday, November 14, and was caught between giant mechanical arms at the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas. The achievement marked the first time a Starship spacecraft returning from space had been caught midair using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms.
The spacecraft completed 14 laps around Earth and released 26 advanced Starlink satellites into orbit during its 15th test flight. However, SpaceX fell short of its planned double catch after the first-stage booster…
India has expanded its scientific and educational infrastructure with the launch of its first-ever LED dome planetarium, situated on the University of Mysore's campus. Developed through a partnership with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the state-of-the-art facility replaces traditional projector systems with direct LED screens to render real-time observatory data. The initiative aims to dramatically elevate public engagement with space science and boost nationwide astronomy education.
Global aerospace and government leaders lauded SpaceX after its Texas launch tower successfully caught a returning Starship spacecraft following a 22.5-hour orbital journey. The engineering milestone represents a vital step toward creating fully reusable rocket architectures capable of routine space operations. While the orbital upper stage was recovered intact, the company is still investigating fuel issues that affected the mission's Super Heavy booster.
Indian space officials are prioritizing rigorous verification over immediate schedule recovery following consecutive launch anomalies tied to a crucial solid-propellant stage. Resolving these propulsion issues is vital because the affected system shares heritage with another operational rocket line. Taking deliberate time to evaluate recent test data helps protect India's primary commercial satellite delivery pipeline from further high-profile setbacks.