Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
The tower grabs Starship 42 (but Booster 22 explodes)
SpaceX has written a new chapter in the history of space exploration. On Saturday 14 November 2026, at 10.20pm Italian time, the mechanical arms of Starbase’s launch tower (known as chopsticks) captured a returning upper stage from orbit for the first time. The Ship 42 spacecraft returned to base after more than 22 and a half hours in space (completing 14 full orbits of Earth). No agency or company in the world had ever managed to return an orbital rocket’s upper stage to the launch site and dock it.
A historic success, but with a setback
Despite the triumph of capturing the spacecraft, the celebration was partly spoiled by the first stage. Booster 22, the Super Heavy booster with 33 engines, had to abandon its landing due to a fuel-related alarm and ended up ditching in the sea. So far, SpaceX had already successfully recovered the Super Heavy using the Mechazilla tower (during flights 5, 7 and 8), while older versions of the Ship had always sunk or been lost. Unlike the Falcon 9, whose upper stages are routinely discarded, Starship’s philosophy aims for full reusability.
The delicate re-entry from orbit
Re-entry was the mission’s riskiest and most uncertain test. Before giving the final go-ahead for the manoeuvre, ground technicians carefully analysed camera footage and satellite data to confirm the heat shield’s integrity. In the event of engine or shield anomalies — with the consequent risk of disintegration — the emergency plan was to divert the spacecraft’s course to safe zones in the Pacific Ocean, far from populated areas.
