Starship Flight 15 to catch booster and ship
The gist
SpaceX is targeting Nov 13 for Starship Flight 15, aiming to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship at the launch tower.
The ship has never been caught; recovering both would be a first for an orbital rocket.
How it unfolded
- Oct 13, 2024Super Heavy booster caught by the launch tower's arms on Starship's fifth test flight.
- Sep 28, 2026Flight 14 became the first Starship to reach orbit, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites before splashing down in the northern Pacific about three hours after liftoff, despite an early engine shutdown Musk blamed on engine computer software.
- Oct 10, 2026Speaking at Giga Texas, Musk said the flight would "probably launch a little bit before Thanksgiving."
Key terms
- Starship
- A fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch vehicle being developed by SpaceX as successor to its Falcon rockets.
- Super Heavy booster
- Reusable first stage of SpaceX's Starship launch vehicle, paired with the Starship upper stage.
- FAA
- U.S. Department of Transportation agency that regulates civil aviation, air traffic control and aircraft certification.
Source: Wikipedia