SpaceX catches Starship upper stage for first time
SpaceX successfully caught its Starship upper stage with launch tower arms during the fifteenth test flight on Friday in South Texas.
Successful catch of upper stage
SpaceX executed its first attempt to catch the Starship upper stage using the launch tower's mechanical arms. The company launched the vehicle on Friday for its fifteenth test flight from South Texas. This specific maneuver marked a new milestone since previous catches involved only the Super Heavy boosters. The Ship remained in orbit for roughly 22 hours before descending back toward the surface.
Booster failure and satellite deployment
The first stage booster experienced a problem while returning to Earth and aborted its planned catch attempt. Instead of being caught, the Super Heavy V3 booster changed course to splash down in the Gulf. There it exploded before hitting the water after failing to return to the launch site. Despite this failure, the mission successfully deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit during the flight.
Company response and future plans
SpaceX posted a message congratulating the entire team on this incredible achievement following the successful catch. The company had originally planned to demonstrate a double catch involving both stages in separate attempts. While the booster failed, the upper stage continued its journey as intended by the mission design. Engineers will now analyze the booster data to understand why the return maneuver did not succeed.
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