By Staff, Agencies

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched its massive Starship rocket in a major test aimed at demonstrating the recovery and reuse of an entire orbital launch system. However, the mission encountered a setback after the Super Heavy booster failed to return to its designated landing site.

The 124-meter [407-foot] rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in southern Texas on Friday, carrying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites into orbit.

The mission was designed to demonstrate the ability to recover both stages of the rocket using giant mechanical arms attached to the launch tower, allowing the vehicles to be refurbished and reused for future missions.

However, the Super Heavy booster failed to return to the launch tower as planned and instead made a fiery landing in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX did not immediately explain the failure, although its safety systems redirected the booster toward an offshore landing area.

Despite the setback, the Starship upper stage continued its journey into orbit and successfully deployed its satellite payload.

The spacecraft is expected to complete 15 orbits around Earth before attempting to return to Texas on Saturday, where SpaceX plans to catch it using the launch tower’s enormous mechanical arms.

A successful recovery would mark the first time a Starship spacecraft has been caught following an orbital flight.

SpaceX has previously managed to catch its Super Heavy booster three times, but recovering the upper stage presents a more complex challenge because the spacecraft must withstand extreme temperatures and pressure during atmospheric reentry at orbital speeds.

Starship is also a key component of NASA’s Artemis program, under which SpaceX is developing a modified version of the spacecraft to transport American astronauts to the Moon.

The latest test follows a significant milestone in September, when Starship reached orbit for the first time, advancing SpaceX’s efforts to develop a fully reusable launch system for future space exploration.