SpaceX’s Starship returned from orbit Saturday and was caught in midair by giant mechanical arms at its launch site, completing the first successful capture of a Starship returning from space, according to the Associated Press.
The spacecraft’s flight began about 22 hours earlier with a Friday liftoff from Texas. The pad-arm catch marked the planned finale of the mission.
SpaceX had hoped to complete two catches during the flight, but the first-stage booster exploded shortly after launch. The company still aims to achieve the double-catch approach as part of its effort to speed travel to the moon and Mars.
