SpaceX is targeting November 13 for Starship Flight 15 with the mission seeking to attempt the first catch of the Starship spacecraft.
The announcement solidifies the November double-recovery strategy that SpaceX outlined after Flight 14’s historic arrival in orbit. However, the goal lines up with what Musk described on October 20 on a SpaceX earnings call when he said Flight 15 would try to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship.
Musk’s odds are tilted toward a full recovery on October 20 when he said Flight 15 would try to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship.
The November 13 target would put that attempt about eight days out, though dates can still vary for weather, hardware readiness and regulatory timing.
If both sides achieve a critical reusability benchmark toward increased launch frequencies, Musk has said a robust pipeline of initiatives is scheduled through year-end with launch cadence expected to rise into 2027.
Elon Musk post reads: “SpaceX will attempt to catch both the Super Heavy booster and Starship on the upcoming flight. If both are successful, it will mark the first time that all parts of an orbital rocket return to Earth intact. This is the critical breakthrough needed to make life multiplanetary.”
SpaceX has caught Super Heavy three times on Flights 5,7, and 8 but the ship returned back from orbital velocity and has never been caught. Musk has called a successful Ship catch the first time there is full recovery of an orbital class rocket, and he has already designated the subsequent step as Flight 16 where both the booster and the Ship fly again.
