SpaceX's 15th Starship flight lifted off from Starbase, Texas, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites during an orbital mission lasting over 20 hours. Following a deorbit burn, the spacecraft returned to the launch site, where the tower's mechanical arms, nicknamed "Mechazilla," secured the descending vehicle under engine power. Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster suffered a fuel shortage that cut its boostback burn short, forcing an automated offshore redirect where its flight termination system was eventually activated. Industry figures including Sundar Pichai and Jared Isaacman joined Pete Hegseth in praising the company's historic recovery.
Key points
Catching an orbital rocket's upper stage marks a critical advance toward SpaceX's goal of…: Catching an orbital rocket's upper stage marks a critical advance toward SpaceX's goal of full rocket reusability.
SpaceX is currently investigating an unexpected fuel mass issue that disrupted the booste…: SpaceX is currently investigating an unexpected fuel mass issue that disrupted the booster's planned recovery sequence.
Government and industry leaders broadly commended the aerospace milestone as a major tech…: Government and industry leaders broadly commended the aerospace milestone as a major technical breakthrough.
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Washington, DC: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth led international accolades for SpaceX following its historic aerospace milestone, joining global leaders in saluting an unprecedented technological leap that has pushed the boundaries of modern rocketry.
"Congrats @elonmusk - a great American. Keep leading the frontier..." Hegseth posted on X.
Describing the feat as an event that still feels like science fiction, Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined 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.
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.
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.
Aerospace leaders including Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised SpaceX after its Starship spacecraft executed a historic return from orbit to its Texas launch site. The upper stage was captured upright by the launch tower's mechanical arms, marking the first time such an orbital vehicle was caught to achieve complete hardware reusability. This milestone significantly advances operational goals to eliminate the need to discard rocket stages following space missions.