# SpaceX catches Starship vehicle for first time as booster recovery fails

_Published Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 5:37 PM EST · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![52822624215_2e5d62e50a_o — Primary](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/52822624215_2e5d62e50a_o.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C13.419374014038%2C100%2C73.161251971924&w=1200)

SpaceX caught the Starship vehicle with its launch tower's arms for the first time during Flight 15, The Verge reported. The vehicle descended through clouds, turned vertically and settled between the tower's arms at around 4:20 PM ET.

SpaceX had previously caught boosters using the same approach. This flight did not recover the entire launch vehicle: the booster aborted its landing and detonated over the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX is investigating what caused that failure.

## Sources

- [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/science/1033930/spacex-chopstick-starship-catch)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/6AYe_x0OAwdi5snyQIrErZ
Published: 2026-11-14T22:37:59.074Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-14T21:20:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-15T01:02:07.676Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)