SpaceX Catches Returning Starship With Launch Tower Arms

SpaceX caught a Starship spacecraft returning from space using mechanical "chopstick arms" above Launch Pad 2 in Texas on November 14, 2026. It was the first capture of a Starship coming back from space, according to Al Jazeera.

The same flight did not go fully to plan. SpaceX's first-stage booster exploded shortly after liftoff from Texas, which ruled out a planned double catch of the booster and the Starship. Kate Tice of SpaceX said the booster's engines stopped firing too soon, and its guidance system started a detour over water before it self-destructed.

The upper stage did separate from the booster and reach orbit. It released 26 advanced Starlink satellites, and the spacecraft then completed 14 laps around Earth at an altitude of 265 kilometres (165 miles). SpaceX reported that everything on the returned spacecraft, including its heat shield, appeared to work well.

SpaceX officials said the catch demonstrates the full reusability of Starship, a feature they described as crucial for rapid, low-cost recycling of the vehicle. The company had previously achieved three booster catches before this flight.

The mission was the 15th full-scale Starship flight since 2023 and only the second time the vehicle has travelled to orbit. Starship stands 124 metres (407 feet) tall. It is described as the world's largest and most powerful rocket, and it is intended for travel to the Moon and Mars.

NASA has selected Starship to land the first astronauts on the lunar surface since the Apollo program.