SpaceX@SpaceX
Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement!
SpaceX Mechazilla Tower Catches Returning Starship Upper Stage for First Time
On November 14, SpaceX achieved a breakthrough during Starship Flight 15 when the Mechazilla tower at Starbase, Texas, successfully caught the upper stage after its multi-orbit journey from a November 13 launch. The Super Heavy booster diverted to a Gulf of Mexico splashdown due to low fuel, but the ship reached orbit, deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, and completed about 14 orbits before reentering for the precise catch. Elon Musk noted the rapid progress, with this early vehicle already being outpaced by improved designs, advancing fully reusable orbital launches.