Texas: SpaceX has, for the first time, caught the Starship spacecraft returning from Earth's orbit in mid-air using the mechanical arms of the launch tower. This achievement occurred at Starbase, Texas, on Saturday, November 14, at approximately 3:20 p.m. Chicago time. During Starship's 15th test flight, the 'Ship 42,' launched on Wednesday, orbited the Earth 14 times and deployed 26 Starlink satellites into orbit. About 22½ hours after launch, the returning spacecraft reignited its engines to reduce speed. The vertically descending spacecraft was caught by the tower's mechanical arms known as the 'chopsticks.' Meanwhile, the rocket's first stage, the Super Heavy Booster 22, was not recovered. According to SpaceX's preliminary assessment, engine burn for booster recovery ended earlier than planned following a warning indicating low fuel levels. The guidance system detected that the booster was not in a position where the tower could safely capture it and cancelled the recovery attempt autonomously. The booster diverted into the Gulf of Mexico. The company is investigating the reason behind the warning. While the goal of recovering both stages on the same mission was not met, catching the spacecraft on the same tower that launched it after orbit constitutes a significant advancement in the development of a fully reusable rocket.
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Original Malayalam report: Malayalam Daily News
