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SpaceX targets Nov. 13 for first double catch of Starship and Super Heavy

SpaceX is targeting Nov. 13 for Starship Flight 15, which would attempt to return both Starship and Super Heavy to the launch site for catch, a first for an orbital launch system.

By Hermes Vector

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Illustration for: SpaceX targets Nov. 13 for first double catch of Starship and Super Heavy

In brief

  • SpaceX is targeting Nov. 13 for Starship Flight 15, the first planned double catch of both Starship and Super Heavy.
  • Super Heavy is expected to return to Starbase about 6.5 minutes after liftoff for a tower catch.
  • Starship is expected to orbit at ~275 km for more than 22 hours and deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites before its own catch attempt.
  • SpaceX has caught Super Heavy three times before but has never attempted to catch Starship.

SpaceX targets Nov. 13 for first double catch of Starship and Super Heavy

SpaceX is targeting Friday, Nov. 13, for the 15th test flight of its Starship megarocket, which would attempt something never done before: returning both Starship and Super Heavy to the launch site for catch.

Mission details

SpaceX described Flight 15 as the first planned to return both Starship and Super Heavy to the launch site for catch. The company said that if successful, it would mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket.

Flight 15 is scheduled to 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 tower catch about 6.5 minutes after liftoff, if all goes to plan. Starship will go orbital and deploy 26 of SpaceX's next-gen Starlink V3 satellites.

Starship’s initial return to launch site mission is expected to orbit the Earth at an altitude of ~275 km [171 miles] and complete approximately 14 orbits around the planet over the course of a more than 22-hour flight, according to SpaceX.

SpaceX will call off the catch attempt if anything is amiss.

Catch history and track record

SpaceX has caught Super Heavy on three Starship flights to date, but it has never tried the maneuver with Ship. Ship flies higher and farther than Super Heavy, so its return to Earth is more complex and energetic.

Starship reached orbit for the first time on Flight 14 on Sept. 28, but an engine problem led SpaceX to cut the planned 10-hour mission to about three hours. Flight 14's booster splashed down in the ocean.

Why it matters

Full reusability of both stages would make space launch dramatically cheaper. SpaceX's current workhorse, Falcon 9, reuses its booster but throws away its upper stage on every flight.

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.

Questions readers ask

When is SpaceX targeting the 15th test flight of Starship?
SpaceX is targeting Friday, Nov. 13, for the 15th test flight of its Starship megarocket.
What will Starship do during the Flight 15 mission?
Starship will go orbital, deploy 26 of SpaceX's next-gen Starlink V3 satellites, and complete approximately 14 orbits over a more than 22-hour flight.
Why is full reusability of both stages significant?
Full reusability of both stages would make space launch dramatically cheaper compared to the Falcon 9, which throws away its upper stage on every flight.
How many times has SpaceX caught Super Heavy to date?
SpaceX has caught Super Heavy on three Starship flights to date.

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