SpaceX’s next-generation Starship spacecraft cruised around the globe on Saturday approaching the conclusion of its 15th test flight as the company aimed for a historic, precise touchdown at the very site in Texas where it lifted off.
Primarily, Starship’s upper stage plunges back through Earth’s atmosphere after roughly 24 hours in space steer back toward its launch tower and then makes a powered touchdown into the tower’s giant capture arms as the booster hovers above the pad.
On Friday, the towering two-stage rocket’s Super Heavy booster, the rocket’s bottom half carried Starship to space lifting off from SpaceX’s Starbase facilities in Texas.
SpaceX has spent about a decade building Starship which tycoon Elon Musk views as the upcoming cornerstone for the company’s satellite venture and aspirations to send humans to the moon and one day Mars.
Nonetheless, SpaceX’s leadership in the global launch market has been concentrated on its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket launched over 700 times since 2010, though the rocket’s first stage is reusable but its second stage-the part that delivers payloads into orbit is expanded.
Ruqia Shahid is a reporter specialising in science, focusing on discoveries, research developments, and technological advancements. She translates complex scientific concepts into clear, engaging stories, helping readers understand the latest innovations and their real-world impact through accurate, accessible, and insight-driven reporting.
