SpaceX attempted its first double catch of an orbital rocket system during the 15th test flight of Starship from Starbase.
The flight aimed to retrieve both the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Ship using the mechanical arms of the launch tower. The attempt followed months of regulatory reviews and licensing modifications requested from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Failed Booster Recovery in the Gulf
The first objective of the mission failed when the recovery of the Super Heavy booster was canceled shortly after liftoff. The booster fell into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to the launch tower. This flight marked the first time SpaceX tested a catch with a V3 Super Heavy booster. Previous captures involved V1 hardware during earlier flights.
The Super Heavy separates from the Ship minutes after launch and normally executes a boostback burn to return to the pad. For this flight, the catch was scheduled roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff.
The Long Orbital Journey of Ship 42
Ship 42 carried a painted inscription reading “Don’t panic” as a tribute to Douglas Adams after rolling out to the pad on November 12. The upper stage followed a suborbitally safe trajectory before a Raptor engine reignited to place the vehicle into a 275-kilometer orbit. The mission plan included releasing twenty-six third-generation Starlink satellites.
Three of the Starlink satellites featured dedicated cameras to monitor the thermal protection shield. Operators used these images to evaluate whether to authorize the return to Starbase. The thermal shield relies on thousands of tiles designed to withstand extreme atmospheric heating during the descent.
Planned Return Trajectory Over Populated Land
The mission profile required Ship 42 to orbit the Earth approximately fourteen times over twenty-two hours. Returning the vehicle to Starbase required a trajectory crossing northern Mexico and southern Texas. Previous flights directed returning ships over open ocean waters. SpaceX secured regulatory adjustments to permit the overland descent.
Controllers maintained backup options to divert the ship into predetermined ocean emergency areas if critical systems faltered. The final landing maneuver involved a horizontal belly flop followed by a vertical flip using atmospheric Raptor engines. The catch was scheduled for Saturday evening, pending all flight criteria remaining green.
Future Plans for Reusable Orbital Systems
The 15th flight followed the 14th mission. SpaceX delayed the current launch from an initial October target while awaiting regulatory clearance.
