MUSCAT : SpaceX has successfully recovered its Starship spacecraft at the launch pad for the first time, following a 22-hour mission in orbit, in a major step towards making space travel more affordable and sustainable.

The spacecraft returned safely to Earth on Saturday, emerging from the clouds after its descent and gliding smoothly between two giant robotic arms positioned above Launch Pad No. 2.

The historic operation marked the first time a spacecraft returning from orbit had been captured directly at its launch pad, demonstrating the potential for fully reusable orbital launch systems.

During its mission, Starship completed 14 orbits around Earth and deployed 26 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink internet network.

The recovery was particularly challenging because the spacecraft returned from a much higher altitude and at significantly greater speeds than the rocket’s booster stage.

SpaceX had previously succeeded in catching the booster stage three times, but recovering the spacecraft itself required a more complex landing operation.

Ahead of the attempt, Jesse Anderson, an official with the Starship programme, said a successful capture would demonstrate that an orbital launch vehicle could be fully recovered at its launch site.

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