SpaceX is targeting a 75-minute launch window that opens at 4:45 p.m. CT today from Starbase in South Texas for Starship Flight 15, the first attempt to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage with the launch tower’s mechanical arms.
The fully stacked vehicle—Booster 22 and Ship 42—is the world’s largest and most powerful rocket. If the dual catch succeeds, it would mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system, according to SpaceX. The booster is expected to return for a tower catch roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff. The ship would continue into low Earth orbit at about 275 kilometers, deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, complete roughly 14 orbits, and attempt its own return and catch more than 22 hours later on Saturday, provided vehicle systems pass health checks.
SpaceX has previously caught Super Heavy boosters on three earlier flights, but has never attempted a tower catch of the upper stage. The company said the ship will only attempt the return if critical systems for reentry, landing burn and tower approach are healthy. Contingency splashdown areas over the ocean are built into the plan if a catch is not authorized.
Ship 42 moves to the Starbase pad ahead of launch https://t.co/pMUFTHneJQ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 13, 2026
The launch remains pending final regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. A live webcast is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s website and on X. Local road and beach closures near Starbase are expected during the window.
Starship stands roughly 400 feet tall when fully stacked and is designed for rapid reusability to support large payloads and future crewed missions. Previous flights have tested booster catches and orbital insertions; Flight 15 is the most ambitious recovery attempt yet.
Residents and visitors in the Rio Grande Valley may see or hear the launch if weather and range conditions allow.
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