SpaceX catches megarocket Starship using Chopsticks, makes history

SpaceX successfully caught Starship's upper stage in Texas, a major step towards recovering and reusing both stages of its giant rocket.SpaceX Starship 42 returns from orbit to the launch pad during Flight 15. (Photo: Reuters)New Delhi,Nov 15, 2026 03:08 ISTSpaceX’s Starship spacecraft returned to its launch site in Texas and was successfully caught by the giant mechanical arms of its launch tower on Sunday, November 15, completing a milestone the company has been working towards for years.The catch marked the first time a Starship upper stage had been recovered at the launch site after travelling to orbit and returning to Earth. It was a major step towards SpaceX’s goal of making the world’s most powerful rocket fully and rapidly reusable.Ship 42 was caught at around 2:52 am IST after spending more than 22 hours in space during Flight 15, the vehicle’s 15th integrated flight test. It lifted off from Starbase in South Texas on November 14 and reached low Earth orbit at an altitude of around 275 km.Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement! https://t.co/YJzmGUZb2B— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 14, 2026A 22-HOUR COMMUTE BACK HOMEDuring its time in orbit, Ship 42 completed about 14 revolutions around Earth and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. Three satellites carried cameras to inspect the spacecraft’s heat shield and other hardware, helping engineers assess its readiness for the return journey.After its final checks, the spacecraft performed a de-orbit burn and began its descent through Earth's atmosphere. It then carried out a controlled landing manoeuvre and aligned itself with the Starbase launch tower. The tower’s two giant mechanical arms, known as Chopsticks, successfully closed around the vehicle, bringing it to a stop above the launch pad.The successful recovery demonstrated that Starship's upper stage could return from orbit and be caught at the launch site, an essential part of SpaceX's plans for rapid reuse.MAJOR STEP TOWARDS REUSABLE ROCKETSSpaceX has previously recovered and reused Super Heavy boosters, but had never caught a Starship upper stage returning from orbit.The Ship recovery demonstrates another part of the company's plan to bring both rocket stages back for inspection and reuse.Flight 15 had aimed to recover both stages.However, the Super Heavy booster’s planned tower catch was called off, and it instead made an offshore landing in the Gulf of Mexico.The successful Ship catch therefore delivered a major milestone, even as the mission fell short of its original dual-recovery objective.Reusing both stages could eventually reduce launch costs and support SpaceX’s ambitions for missions to the Moon and Mars.- Ends