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The lower portion of a rocket that provides the initial thrust to leave the ground.
The first stage contains the main engines and the bulk of the propellant needed to push the rocket out of the dense lower atmosphere. In reusable rocket systems, this section separates during flight and guides itself back to a controlled landing.
During Starship Flight 15, SpaceX's Super Heavy booster aborted its tower catch attempt, diverted to the Gulf of Mexico, and triggered its self-destruct system.
SpaceX attempts to catch the upper stage of its Starship megarocket using launch tower arms for the first time.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off from California to carry a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force.
