SpaceX Successfully Catches Starship Upper Stage Midair with Mechanical Arms
· Technology · Al Jazeera, Engadget, Barron's
SpaceX caught the upper stage of its Starship rocket in midair using mechanical arms nicknamed 'chopsticks' during its fifth integrated flight test on Sunday, November 17, 2026. The spacecraft made a controlled descent and touched down at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, 22 hours after liftoff. This marked the first time the booster has been caught in midair, a major milestone for SpaceX's rocket reusability programme. The achievement was broadcast live and celebrated by engineers at the company's South Texas launch facility.
Why it matters
This successful midair catch demonstrates a major advance in rocket reusability technology, potentially reducing turnaround time and costs for future orbital launches and deep-space missions.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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