SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully reached orbit on Friday despite an aborted attempt to catch its Super Heavy booster during a test flight from Starbase, Texas.
The 15th test flight of the massive rocket system aimed to achieve a “double-catch” by returning both the lower booster and the upper stage to the launch pad. While the Starship upper stage continued its mission to deploy 26 Starlink satellites, the booster diverted from its planned path and exploded after splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico, DW reported.
Super Heavy booster diverts and explodes after aborted catch
The flight began at 5:47 p.m. ET with the ignition of 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster. CBS News noted that the booster carried 8 million pounds of supercold liquid oxygen and methane fuel during its ascent.
11/13/26 3:43PM: The nationwide ground stop and the temporary pause for space debris have both been lifted. There may be delays as airlines work to accommodate passengers from earlier flights. Travelers are still advised to check with their carrier before leaving for the airport. pic.twitter.com/JgLdIgYZ6N
Shortly after liftoff, flight controllers ordered a diversion to a splashdown in the Gulf Coast due to a technical problem. CBS News said that the booster reversed course to head back toward the launch site, but the maneuver was aborted. The vehicle eventually hit the water and burst into a fireball. AP reported the explosion occurred after the catch attempt was aborted.
“Not sure right now why we weren't able to bring it back,” Dan Huot of SpaceX said, according to DW.
A SpaceX spokesperson addressed the mission’s outcome by stating, “Safety is always the number one priority, and we’re still testing out things that we haven’t done before on these vehicles, and so we are prioritising making sure that we can perform each maneuver safely.”
Starship upper stage orbital mission
Following the separation of the two stages, the 171-foot-tall Starship spacecraft reached orbit approximately 27 minutes after launch. NBC News reported that the spacecraft began releasing its cargo of 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites about 36 minutes into the flight. This payload-delivery operation was expected to take less than an hour to finish.
The mission is expected to last more than 22 hours, with the upper stage scheduled to re-enter the atmosphere on Saturday. The Motley Fool reported that a catch attempt for the Starship upper stage is scheduled for 4:17 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 14.
If all systems are healthy, the ship will perform a deorbit burn, fall through the atmosphere in a belly-flop position, and flip vertical to drop into the tower. During reentry, the spacecraft can change its flight path using four control flaps.
To ensure a safe return, SpaceX uses satellites equipped with cameras to analyze the vehicle’s heat shield. The Guardian noted that this data helps determine if the spacecraft is ready for reentry.
Stakes for rapid reusability and NASA
The development of a fully reusable rocket system is a central goal for SpaceX to reduce the costs of spaceflight. ABC News reported that Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, believes reusability allows for a faster launch cadence.
“They need to be able to turn these launches around within a couple of days, if not a day, and that doesn't happen without catching the rocket,” Dreier told ABC News.
SpaceX is also working toward fulfilling obligations under NASA’s Artemis program. Blue Origin is also developing a lander called Blue Moon. To meet Artemis requirements, Starship will eventually need to demonstrate complex fuel transfers between tanker rockets in orbit.
The Starship program has received substantial financial backing. DW reported that the project has received billions of dollars in NASA funding, specifically roughly $3.2 billion, while SpaceX has also invested at least $15 billion.
Starship flight comparisons
The 15th flight follows several previous iterations of the Starship system. The following table compares key aspects of recent Starship missions based on provided source data:
| Mission Detail | September Flight | Flight 15 (Friday) |
|---|---|---|
| Orbital Success | Reached orbit for the first time | Reached orbit |
| Payload | N/A | 26 Starlink satellites |
| Booster Outcome | N/A | Splashdown/Explosion in Gulf of Mexico |
| Upper Stage Outcome | Splashdown in Pacific Ocean | In orbit (scheduled for Saturday return) |
Elon Musk has stated he expects SpaceX to reach a cadence of approximately one Starship launch per week by the first half of 2027. Scientific American reported that this frequency is tied to the company’s ability to rapidly refurbish and reuse vehicles.
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. https://t.co/BIxkhd5bkR
Earlier coverage: Watch SpaceX Attempt a Historic Starship Launch and Double-Catch Landing Today (Nov. 13)
Ship 42 moves to the Starbase pad ahead of launch pic.twitter.com/pMUFTHneJQ
More on SpaceX
Starship and its heatshield are healthy as the vehicle continues to orbit Earth after a spectacular start to its mission nearly 7 hours ago. Teams are continuing to monitor systems ahead of a planned return to launch site catch at Starbase ~22.5 hours after launch pic.twitter.com/NeT8wosF4l
Live views of Starship in orbit brought to you by @Starlink pic.twitter.com/7RW3I1LG2e
Starship is traveling around the world every ~90 minutes right now