SpaceX catches top part of Starship rocket on return to Earth
The company successfully used mechanical arms to catch the Ship stage in Texas after a previous booster catch attempt was aborted.
SpaceX has successfully caught the top part of its Starship rocket during its return to Earth for the first time, according to BBC News.
The top part, known as the Ship, returned to Earth at around 15:27 local time on Saturday and was caught by mechanical arms on the launch tower in Texas.
The company had intended to catch both the upper and bottom stages of the rocket using the mechanical arms, which are nicknamed chopsticks.
A previous attempt to catch the rocket's booster was aborted a few minutes after its launch on Friday. That booster was diverted to the ocean and burst into flames above the sea.
Large crowds at the Texas launch site cheered during the successful catch of the Ship, with one commentator asking, "Can you believe it?"