SpaceX Targets November 13 for Starship Flight 15, Aims for First Upper-Stage Catch
SpaceX is targeting Friday, November 13, for Starship Flight 15, a mission that aims to achieve the first-ever catch of the upper-stage Starship vehicle with its launch tower. This target date was announced by SpaceX VP of Launch Kiko Dontchev at the UP.Summit. The company plans for both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage to return to the launch site for tower catches. This follows Flight 14 in late September, which successfully put Starship into orbit and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. While SpaceX has successfully caught the Super Heavy booster multiple times, catching the Starship upper stage, which returns from orbital velocity, presents a more significant recovery challenge. The hardware for Flight 15, including Booster 22 and Ship 42, has undergone static fire testing and catch rehearsals. The primary remaining hurdle is regulatory approval, as the FAA's Starship page has not yet listed a license for Flight 15, though SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell anticipates the license wil...
