Starship rocket from orbit successfully catches upper stage

SpaceX successfully catches upper stage of Starship rocket from orbit. The Starship upper stage operated its first return to launch site and catch at Starbase, marking a major step in quest to build fully reusable rockets. Starship delivered 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit.

On Friday, the booster rocket of the SpaceX Starship exploded above the Gulf of Mexico as it was returning after having delivered the upper stage of the spacecraft into orbit. The launch, described in news reports as “unprecedented”, saw the Starship delivering 26 of SpaceX’s satellites for its Starlink network. The booster rocket was meant to have landed at the launch site in southern Texas, but was instead redirected for a splashdown in the Gulf, news reports said.