Photo: RICARDO ARDUENGO / AFP / Getty Images
SpaceX's Starship rocket achieved a significant milestone as its upper stage successfully landed at the company's Starbase facility in Texas. This marks the first time the upper stage of a rocket has returned to Earth and landed safely. The achievement occurred during Test Flight 15, which launched on Friday (November 13). However, SpaceX was unable to recover the booster rocket, which crashed into the Gulf of Mexico after an automated abort, according to CNBC.
The upper stage, known as Ship 42, completed 14 orbits around Earth before landing on SpaceX's launch tower, nicknamed Mechazilla, using mechanical arms called "chopsticks." BBC News reported that SpaceX employees cheered as the rocket returned to the launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas.
Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, shared a video on X of the upper stage after the capture. The mission also involved deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit, expanding SpaceX's satellite internet network.
SpaceX aims to make Starship a fully reusable rocket, which is crucial for its plans to send more satellites into orbit and eventually transport astronauts and cargo to the Moon for NASA. Space.com highlighted that the successful landing of the upper stage is a "substantial step forward" for SpaceX's ambitions.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman celebrated the achievement, describing the return of the upper stage as "almost magic" in a post on X. The next steps for SpaceX include attempting a dual catch of both the booster and upper stage and further testing for future lunar missions.