Starship Completes First Return-to-Pad Catch After Orbit

On November 14, SpaceX’s Starship descended from orbit and was caught by mechanical arms at the Texas launch pad where it had lifted off about 22 hours earlier. It was the first time the spacecraft had been caught returning from space, though the company did not achieve its intended recovery of both parts of the rocket: the booster exploded after its return maneuver went wrong over the Gulf of Mexico.