# SpaceX pulls off first-ever spaceship ‘catch’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/spacex-pulls-off-first-ever-spaceship-catch/
- Published: 2026-11-14T23:25:33+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T13:28:12+00:00
- Original publisher: Le Monde (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/science/article/2026/11/15/spacex-pulls-off-first-ever-spaceship-catch_6781084_10.html
- Topics: Culture, Space, Technology, Travel, World

## Key points

- Starship was caught by its launch tower after returning from orbit.
- The spacecraft orbited Earth 14 times and released 26 satellites.
- Its booster failed to complete the planned recovery.

## Summary

SpaceX has caught the upper stage of its Starship rocket in the arms of its launch tower in Texas, the first time a spacecraft returning from orbit has been recovered this way. The achievement is a step towards the company’s aim of making Starship rapidly reusable, which could reduce the time and cost involved in spaceflight.

On its 15th test flight, Starship orbited Earth 14 times and deployed 26 Starlink satellites during a journey of about 22 hours. The first-stage booster did not make its planned catch after a problem on descent and instead fell into the Gulf of Mexico; the spacecraft’s catch therefore marked a partial success for the planned recovery of both stages.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.