The successful recovery of the SpaceX Starship marks the first recovery of a spaceship. SpaceX's Starship spacecraft returned from its longest-yet flight in orbit on Saturday to the tower it was launched from on Friday. The spaceship descended and smoothly slipped between the mechanical "chopstick arms" above Launch Pad 2 in the US state of Texas. It was the first key recovery of the rocket system's centerpiece vessel in the company's decadelong effort to develop a fully reusable rocket.