SpaceX's Historic Maneuver: The Giant Starship Was Gripped By Mechanical "Arms"

• 15.11.2026, 12:35

A unique moment was captured on video.

The American company SpaceX conducted a crucial test of its super-heavy Starship rocket. The spacecraft returned to the Starbase site in Texas after its flight into space and was successfully captured by special mechanical grippers on the launch tower. This was reported by Bloomberg.

During the final stage of descent, Starship rotated into a vertical position. As it approached the launch tower, two massive mechanical “arms” grabbed the spacecraft and brought it to a stop. At the SpaceX sites, this maneuver was met with applause and loud cheers.

“Can you believe it? Mechazilla caught Starship,” said SpaceX commentator Dan Huot during the broadcast.

This success marked an important step for Elon Musk’s project to create a reusable space transportation system. During various missions, the company has already managed to recover both main components of the system.

However, it has not yet been possible to recover both components immediately after a single launch. Starship launched into space on Friday. The spacecraft entered orbit, deployed a batch of Starlink satellites, and then spent about a day in space, orbiting the Earth. The spacecraft then began its return to the launch site.

The return of the spacecraft itself from orbit presents a particular challenge. Starship must slow down after traveling at tremendous speeds and withstand extreme heat upon re-entry into the atmosphere.