SpaceX plans to catch both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage during Flight 15, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, from Starbase in South Texas.
By Hermes Vector
SpaceX has moved Super Heavy Booster 22 to the launch mount at its Starbase facility in South Texas ahead of Starship Flight 15, scheduled to lift off on Friday, Nov. 13. The company announced the move on Nov. 10.
SpaceX plans to catch both Booster 22 and Starship's Ship upper stage with its launch tower's "chopstick" arms in a double landing catch. The company has never tried this before. SpaceX has successfully caught Super Heavy on three separate occasions but has never attempted a catch of Ship.
Booster 22 "was used for final catch testing upon arrival [at the pad], including a suspended squeeze test at catch height," SpaceX said in an X post on Nov. 10.
If all goes to plan, Flight 15 will launch from Starbase during a 75-minute window that opens at 5:45 p.m. EST (2245 GMT; 4:45 p.m. local Texas time). Super Heavy will return to Starbase for its catch about 6.5 minutes after liftoff. Ship will follow about 22 hours later, after it has deployed 26 Starlink V3 spacecraft into LEO and completed 14 circuits of the planet.
The upper-stage catch is conditional. Space.com reported that controllers would attempt the Starship return only if they determine those systems are in suitable condition. The reported plan includes ocean deorbit or splashdown alternatives if the upper stage cannot complete the planned return.
A successful recovery of both stages would be the first full recovery of an orbital launch system, according to SpaceX's characterization. The mission would also deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, three of which have been modified to image Starship's heat shield and relay imagery to operators.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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