SpaceX Aborts Starship Booster Catch; Spacecraft Later Reaches Orbit

SpaceX called off Starship’s Super Heavy booster return after stage separation Friday and diverted it to the ocean. The spacecraft later reached orbit and began deploying 26 upgraded Starlink satellites.

The company canceled the booster recovery for safety reasons after the two rocket stages separated. It directed Super Heavy toward an uncrewed area of ocean. The booster had no landing legs, tipped over after reaching the water and exploded.

SpaceX has caught Super Heavy boosters three times. For this flight, the company planned a catch attempt involving both Starship stages at its South Texas launch site, where the tower’s mechanical arms are designed to catch each vehicle as it descends.

The spacecraft is expected to return from orbit about a day after launch for a planned catch attempt at the same site. Recovering both stages is part of SpaceX’s effort to make Starship fully reusable. Reuse could reduce manufacturing costs and support more frequent launches.