United States - January 16, 2025 SpaceX achieved a stunning feat Thursday, using its giant mechanical arms to successfully "catch" the booster stage of its Starship rocket after it returned to the launch tower. For the second time in history, the booster was gripped and guided to rest by the towering "Mechazilla" arms, thrilling space enthusiasts. However, the upper-stage Starship, a redesigned model on its first mission, was not as fortunate. Communication with the spacecraft was lost shortly after it separated from the booster, and the Starship was later presumed lost on its path toward a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Despite the setback, SpaceX celebrated the success of the booster catch, which used a recycled engine from a previous mission. The company's ultimate goal is rapid rocket reusability, and the innovation was a key part of the launch. However, engineers now face the challenge of investigating what went wrong with the upper-stage Starship. This mission marked the first of 2025 and the seventh test flight of the world's most powerful rocket. While SpaceX pushes forward with its Mars ambitions, the loss of the Starship is a reminder of the difficulties inherent in reaching the stars.