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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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SpaceX has caught a Starship spacecraft returning from orbit for the first time, completing a dramatic test that could eventually make repeated launches cheaper and faster. But the company must still master another, arguably more complicated, operation before Starship can take astronauts to the Moon: Refueling in orbit.
The upper-stage spacecraft returned to SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas on Saturday, November 14, after spending approximately 22 hours in space and completing 14 orbits of Earth. As it approached the ground, Starship slowed itself, moved upright, and descended between two giant mechanical arms attached to its launch tower. The arms then closed around the spacecraft and held it above the ground.
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It was the first time SpaceX had caught the Starship upper stage after an orbital flight. The company had previously used the tower to catch three “first stage” boosters, which form the lower part of the rocket that helps launch Starship into space.
However, SpaceX didn’t achieve the double catch it had planned.
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The booster’s engines stopped firing too soon as it returned following Friday’s launch. Its guidance system determined that it wasn’t positioned correctly for a tower catch, so it diverted it toward the Gulf of Mexico, where engineers are currently investigating the cause.
Why the Catch Matters
Catching Starship at its launch site is central to SpaceX’s ambition to produce a fully and rapidly reusable rocket. Avoiding an ocean recovery means the spacecraft can, in principle, be inspected, refueled, and flown again without first being transported back from a distant landing area.
That rapid turnaround matters because future lunar missions are expected to require several Starship launches rather than one. SpaceX’s long-term strategy calls for both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft to return to their launch towers, allowing the same hardware to fly repeatedly instead of building a new rocket for every mission.
Saturday’s test showed that the upper stage could survive both the orbital flight and re-entry, complete a controlled descent, and return to the tower. It didn’t, however, prove that the spacecraft can immediately fly again.
SpaceX will need to assess the condition of its heat shield, engines, and other systems before the flight can be considered evidence of genuinely rapid reuse.
NASA’s Relationship With SpaceX
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NASA selected SpaceX to develop a modified version of Starship as a Human Landing System, or HLS, for its Artemis lunar program, which aims to take astronauts to the Moon and establish a long-term human presence there.
The HLS is designed to take astronauts from a spacecraft orbiting the Moon down to the surface of the Moon and back again, where they would then rejoin NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the journey home. SpaceX must also complete an uncrewed demonstration mission before NASA puts astronauts onboard.
The partnership gives SpaceX the considerable responsibility of designing, building, and demonstrating that the system works, while NASA provides the technical expertise and oversees whether the vehicle meets its safety and mission requirements.
NASA has invested nearly $7 billion into the wider HLS program and expects to spend more than $18 billion by 2030.
NASA welcomed the recent Starship catch. Administrator Jared Isaacman described it as “almost magic” and said it brought the program “one step closer” to returning Americans to the Moon.
Why the Catch Alone Won’t Get Starship to the Moon
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Despite the historic breakthrough, the central challenge in getting astronauts to the Moon is fuel.
Starship can’t leave Earth carrying all the rocket fuel, or propellant, it needs to reach orbit and then continue to the Moon. SpaceX therefore plans to refuel Starship in orbit, using other spacecraft to deliver the fuel it needs before it heads for the Moon.
Under NASA’s current plan, tanker versions of Starship would launch from Earth and deliver fuel to an orbital depot. Once the depot has been filled with fuel, the Moon-bound Starship spacecraft would launch, connect to the depot, refuel, and then head onwards for the Moon.
Exactly how many tanker launches will be necessary remains unknown. Charlie Precourt, a member of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel suggested that the operation could require as many as 22 launches, while SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has argued that the figure will be closer to six or eight.
No mission has yet demonstrated fuel transfer on the scale required by the Starship lunar architecture. SpaceX still needs to prove it can transfer large amounts of fuel and keep that fuel cold enough until it’s needed.
This catch is, therefore, not the final breakthrough needed for a Moon landing. It’s an important step, though, because if SpaceX can recover and relaunch Starships quickly, it could make the multiple refueling launches needed for a Moon mission cheaper and more practical.
What Happens Next?
SpaceX is expected to inspect the recovered spacecraft and continue testing the upgraded Starship system, while also investigating the loss of the Super Heavy booster. The company must demonstrate reliable recovery of both stages, repeatable orbital missions, docking and large-scale propellant transfer.
NASA and SpaceX are also working toward an uncrewed lunar demonstration of Starship HLS before astronauts use the vehicle. NASA says its HLS program is working toward returning astronauts to the Moon by 2028, although NASA’s Office of Inspector General has continued to raise concerns about the technical challenges and schedule risks facing the HLS program.
Saturday’s catch shows that a spacecraft the size of Starship can return from orbit and be recovered directly at its launch site which is a remarkable leap towards reusable spaceflight.
But America’s return to the Moon will depend on whether SpaceX can turn one spectacular recovery into a dependable chain of launches, dockings and fuel transfers in orbit.
Newsweek has contacted SpaceX and NASA for comment.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Cristina Diciu.
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