SpaceX Starship Upper Stage Returns From Orbit to Texas Launch Tower

The top part of Starship, the megarocket built by US space company SpaceX, returned from orbit on Saturday and came back to its launch tower in Texas. The company regards this as a milestone in its efforts to make the craft suitable for human spaceflight.

Planned double catch only partly achieved

Starship's 15th test flight was envisioned as a historic double-catch mission, in which all parts of the rocket would be returned intact. That goal was not fully met: the lower booster section malfunctioned and triggered an automated abort. The booster then exploded over the ocean.

Why it matters

Bringing the upper part back to the launch tower after an orbital flight is an important step in the company's plans to make Starship suitable for crewed space missions. The Guardian, the British newspaper that reported on the flight, described the outcome as a victory for the company. The loss of the booster, however, shows that part of the mission was left unfulfilled.

The event is illustrated in a video showing the return of the upper part to the launch pad in Texas.