SpaceX captured a starship with its launch tower for the first time after an orbital flight.
SpaceX successfully returned the Starship spacecraft to the launch tower after an orbital flight for the first time. The device was captured by the mechanical manipulators of the Makhazila tower at the Starbase spaceport in Texas.
The rocket was launched on November 13. During the mission, the starship's upper stage completed 14 orbits around Earth in 22.5 hours—the longest flight in program history. It also launched 26 Starlink satellites into orbit.
Upon returning to Starbase, the ship changed its position to a vertical position and successfully descended into the mechanical "arms" of the launch tower.
SpaceX called this achievement the missing link and "the Holy Grail of spaceflight."
At the same time, the first stage of the super-heavy rocket could not be returned, so the company was unable to capture both parts of the rocket for the first time in one mission.