SpaceX just did something straight out of science fiction — and this time, it actually happened.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, SpaceX caught its Starship spacecraft out of the sky with the launch tower’s giant mechanical arms — nicknamed “Mechazilla” — after a 22-hour orbital flight. It’s the first time an orbital rocket’s upper stage has ever been caught on its return.

Starship launched Friday, Nov. 13, from Starbase, Texas, on its 15th test flight. It orbited Earth 14 times, deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then reignited an engine, flipped vertical, and descended right into the tower’s arms.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai called it “science fiction.” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated the team. Elon Musk posted tower video of the catch.

Here’s the honest part: this wasn’t a clean double recovery. The Super Heavy booster did NOT make it back — its engines shut down early and it was diverted to the Gulf of Mexico. The history-making catch is the SHIP.

This is a major new development in a story we covered at launch: our Nov. 14 post covered the launch and booster loss only — before the catch. Now the ship has come home, caught mid-air, and fully reusable rockets just got a whole lot closer.

Source: AP