SpaceX cancels mid-air booster catch during Starship test flight due to safety concerns

SpaceX's Starship rocket launched for its sixth test flight on Tuesday but did not attempt to catch its Super Heavy booster mid-air. Instead, the booster splashed down in the ocean due to safety concerns. The decision to skip the catch was made shortly after liftoff, as not all conditions were met for a successful recovery. The booster performed a controlled descent, lighting up its engines before a soft landing in the water. Despite the missed catch, the flight achieved other milestones, including the first in-space engine relight and a successful splashdown of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean.