SpaceX launched its 15th Starship test flight on Friday reaching orbit while a booster malfunction forced an automatic abort that prevented a historic double catch at the Texas launch pad, PBS News reported.
Elon Musk’s company aims to catch both stages of Starship using mechanical launch tower arms, lowering launch costs to support future moon bases and Mars missions, according to PBS News and Bloomberg.
SpaceX Scales Infrastructure for Starship Transition
- SpaceX is scaling infrastructure to transition from its workhorse SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets to the fully reusable Starship architecture, which Bloomberg notes underpins a $2 trillion private market valuation.
- Commercial satellite operators face tighter scheduling constraints as remaining Falcon 9 flight slots fill up toward 2030, according to analysis published by Fortune.
- NASA is currently weighing whether to utilize Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander for the Artemis IV lunar mission, with a final decision expected a year prior to the landing.
Booster Malfunction Disrupts Launch Mount Recovery
During the flight from Starbase, Texas, the Super Heavy v3 Booster 22 experienced an automatic abort that diverted it away from the launch pad and into the Gulf of Mexico, PBS News reported. The company had previously succeeded in catching the booster on three prior flights, but this marked the first attempt to retrieve the upgraded version measuring 236 feet (72 meters) in height.
“If successful, this will mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket,” the company wrote in a mission description cited by Space.
Despite the booster’s water landing, the bullet-shaped upper stage continued onward to low Earth orbit. The spacecraft successfully deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, matching the payload configuration previously flown on September 28, Space reported.
Starship is now in a long coast phase around Earth. Teams will monitor Starship’s systems over the next ~21 hours that we intend to be in orbit for. We do have a few early deorbit options available should we need them, but all systems are looking good right now
Commercial Satellite Markets Face Capacity Pressures
| Launch System | Developer | Primary Payload / Status |
|---|---|---|
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | Workhorse satellite and crew vehicle; retiring toward 2030 |
| Starship | SpaceX | Fully reusable megarocket; targeted for Artemis lunar landings |
| New Glenn | Blue Origin | Heavy-lift orbital rocket entering commercial service |
NASA Adapts Starship for Lunar Landings and Orbital Refueling
NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars to adapt Starship as the human lunar lander for the Artemis program. Next summer’s Artemis III mission will require astronauts to practice docking procedures in Earth orbit with both a Blue Moon lander and a Starship, paving the way for a surface landing targeted for as early as 2028.
Bloomberg reported that orbital refueling will require multiple back-to-back Starship launches, a technical milestone the company continues to test during ongoing flight campaigns.
The spacecraft is scheduled to steer toward the Starbase launch mount on Saturday, November 14, to attempt a midair recovery of the upper stage by the tower’s mechanical arms, concluding a 22-hour mission profile, PBS News reported.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Swipe for the full sequence: Super Heavy Booster 22 offshore divert during Starship Flight 15! pic.twitter.com/ybDABIk0Mz
Earlier coverage: SpaceX Starship Booster Fails Catch Attempt, Hits Gulf of Mexico
More on Starship
Starship is now deploying its payload of 26 @Starlink V3 satellites. This deployment sequence will take ~42 minutes pic.twitter.com/h0XEdXub7S
Offshore divert for the booster. No Super Heavy catch back at Starbase.
