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SpaceX Makes History With Successful Rocket Catch in Texas
New York Times(subscription required) ·
The Starship spacecraft returned from orbit to the same spot where it lifted off, marking a key milestone in SpaceX’s vision of building fully reusable rockets.
AI Insight
SpaceX’s Starship returned from orbit and was caught by mechanical arms at its Texas launchpad, the first such recovery of the vehicle. The first-stage booster did not return as planned: CBS News and PBS NewsHour reported it exploded after liftoff, while The Defiant said it diverted to an offshore splashdown.
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First reported by Scientific American at · 8 outlets in all
- New York Times(subscription required)SpaceX Makes History With Successful Rocket Catch in TexasThe Starship spacecraft returned from orbit to the same spot where it lifted off, marking a key milestone in SpaceX’s vision of building fully reusable rockets.
- MarketWatchSpaceX successfully catches Starship rocket in huge milestone for the space industryThe historic first gets SpaceX closer to “rapid reusability” of rockets.
- NPRSpaceX successfully catches Starship and makes historyThe company's spacecraft returned to its Texas launchpad in dramatic fashion — by carefully lowering itself until two metal arms attached to the launch tower could secure it.
- CNBCSpaceX catches upper stage of Starship rocket in historic firstStarship Test Flight 15 marked the first time Elon Musk's company tried to catch both the booster and upper stage of the rocket.
- Yahoo NewsSetback for SpaceX Starship rocket's double-catch testThe Starship rocket launched successfully on Friday [Getty Images] SpaceX will decide later whether to try to catch the top part of its huge Starship rocket as it returns to Earth.The company had hoped to catch both the bottom and upper stages of the rocket using mechanical arms - nicknamed chopsticks - on its launch tower.But the first catch of the rocket's booster was aborted a few minutes after the launch, and instead the booster diverted to the ocean, bursting into flames just above the sea.The top part, known as the Ship, is due to return to Earth at about 15:15 local time (21:15 GMT) on…
- Financial Times(subscription required)SpaceX catches returning Starship rocket in breakthrough for MuskSuccessful landing of upper stage is key to founder’s aim of sending reusable manned rockets to Mars
- BBCSpaceX successfully catches top of huge Starship rocket for first timeThe rocket stage was caught mid air using huge mechanical arms nicknamed “chopsticks”.
- Scientific American(subscription required)Can SpaceX catch its Starship?The 15th spaceflight of SpaceX’s giant launch vehicle aimed for something unprecedented: snatching both rocket stages from midair after a journey to orbit. The test proved partially successful, but ended in a historic first.