SpaceX Starship 42 returns from orbit to the launchpad on the 15th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, on Saturday. | REUTERS
AFP-Jiji
Nov 15, 2026
Starbase, Texas – Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Saturday carried out the first-ever recovery of a spaceship, pulling off a successful “catch” of its Starship vessel as it returned to its launch site after a day in orbit.
The spaceship emerged from a cloudy sky after withstanding the extreme heat of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, and descended slowly over Starbase before slipping smoothly between mechanical “chopstick arms” above Launch Pad 2.
The feat marked a milestone in the space industry’s decadeslong pursuit of fully reusable rocket systems — a goal that can drastically reduce mission costs and make more frequent launches possible.
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Source: The Japan Times
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