SpaceX's Starship upper stage returned from orbit and was caught by mechanical arms on its launch pad in Texas, the first-ever capture of a Starship flying back from space, according to a story by Marcia Dunn of the Associated Press carried by PBS NewsHour. The AP reported that the first-stage booster exploded shortly after the Friday liftoff from Texas, and that the company fell short of its desired double catch.
ABC News, in a wire report, called the flight the "grand finale that Elon Musk and his team hoped for."
The Guardian reported that the 171ft (52-meter) bullet-shaped upper stage descended into the clutch of the tower's mechanical arms on Saturday, ending a 22-hour mission. In a report by Uwa Ede-Osifo, The Guardian said that although the booster exploded, the company caught the upper stage for the first time in its campaign to make the megarocket reusable. The outlet described the return as a milestone in efforts to make the craft suitable for human spaceflight.
The accounts agree that the booster exploded and that the upper stage was caught, but they differ on timing. The AP refers to Friday's liftoff, while The Guardian reports the return to the tower on Saturday. The Guardian's headline described the outcome as a victory for the company, while the AP's summary emphasized that the planned double catch was not achieved.
Sources: PBS NewsHour: SpaceX's Starship returns from orbit and is captured by launch pad arms in a dramatic first; ABC News: SpaceX’s Starship returns from orbit, caught by launch pad arms in dramatic first; The Guardian: SpaceX’s Starship returns to launch pad from orbit in victory for company.