Elon Musk’s Starship rocket has completed a world first after part of it was captured on its return to the launch pad. The SpaceX vehicle's lower half manoeuvred back beside its launch tower where it was caught in a giant pair of mechanical arms, as part of its fifth test flight.

SpaceX just caught the giant first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket — and it plans to do the same with the vehicle's upper stage soon.