A spacecraft that has so far been brought back to Earth through ocean splashdowns could soon be caught mid-air by giant mechanical arms at its launch site.
SpaceX is preparing to attempt its first-ever land-based recovery of Starship's upper stage, marking a major step in Elon Musk's ambition to make the world's most powerful launch system fully reusable. According to Reuters, SpaceX plans to bring both sections of Starship back to its Texas launch facility. The Super Heavy booster will return to the launch tower shortly after liftoff, where giant mechanical arms will attempt to catch it. The upper stage, which carries the spacecraft into orbit, is expected to complete 14 orbits around Earth before beginning its return journey. The upper-stage recovery attempt is scheduled approximately 22 hours after liftoff. SpaceX will use the mechanical arms installed on its launch tower to catch the returning spacecraft, rather than allowing it to splash down in the ocean as in previous missions.
Starship is a two-stage, fully reusable launch system developed by SpaceX. Standing 407 feet (124 metres) tall, it consists of the Super Heavy first-stage booster and the Starship upper-stage spacecraft. The system is designed to carry satellites, cargo and astronauts into Earth's orbit and, eventually, support missions to the Moon and Mars. The Super Heavy booster forms the lower section of the launch system and provides the thrust needed to lift Starship off the ground. It is powered by 33 Raptor engines, which use liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants. After stage separation, the booster is designed to return to the launch site, where two giant mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower attempt to catch it. The Starship upper stage measures 52 metres (171 feet) and is powered by six Raptor engines. The complete launch system weighs approximately 5,533 metric tonnes when fully fuelled, according to SpaceX's June 2026 prospectus. The recovery attempt is significant for SpaceX's ambition to make Starship a fully reusable launch system, allowing both stages to be recovered, refurbished and flown again instead of being discarded after a mission. If successful, the technology could reduce launch costs, shorten turnaround times and allow the company to increase its launch frequency.
Elon Musk has said he expects SpaceX to move towards a weekly Starship launch schedule by the first half of 2027. The spacecraft is also central to the company's plans to expand its Starlink satellite network and eventually deploy AI data-processing satellites in space. Starship is equally important to Nasa 's Artemis programme, under which it has been selected as a lunar lander to carry astronauts to the Moon. Nasa has provided SpaceX with around $3.2 billion for its development, while the company has invested at least $15 billion of its own funds. Nasa and SpaceX are targeting a human lunar landing by 2028, although major technical challenges, including demonstrating fuel transfers between Starship vehicles in orbit, remain.
