SpaceX’s Starship returns to launch pad from orbit in victory for company

Although booster exploded, company caught upper stage for first time in campaign to make megarocket reusable

SpaceX's megarocket Starship returned to its Texas launch tower on Saturday, a milestone in the company's efforts to make the craft suitable for human spaceflight.

The 171ft (52-meter) bullet-shaped upper stage descended into the clutch of the tower's mechanical arms, ending a 22hr mission where the craft orbited Earth 14 times.