# SpaceX goes for a Starship double catch

Source: [Astronomy Magazine](https://www.astronomy.com/whats-launching-this-week/spacex-goes-for-a-starship-double-catch/) · 2026-11-09 · Space
Page: https://themorning.science/story/spacex-goes-for-a-starship-double-catch-9e002a1b0dfb4d35
Kind: launch · Impact: medium

## In brief

- SpaceX is targeting Friday, November 13, for the 15th test flight of its Starship megarocket, Starship Flight 15.
- The flight will attempt a double catch, which Space.com reports has never been done before.
- Astronomy Magazine reports a separate SpaceX target: a Falcon 9 launch of the classified U.S. Space Force mission USSF-627 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, scheduled for Monday, November 9, at 10:03 p.m. EST.

## Why it matters

If the double catch succeeds, it would demonstrate a new recovery technique for Starship hardware, which bears on how reusable heavy-lift rockets are developed and operated.

## Versions

- Starship Flight 15

## Timeline

- 2026-11-09: SpaceX targets 10:03 p.m. EST launch of USSF-627 on Falcon 9 from Vandenberg
- 2026-11-13: SpaceX targets Starship Flight 15 double-catch test

## Coverage

- [SpaceX goes for a Starship double catch](https://www.astronomy.com/whats-launching-this-week/spacex-goes-for-a-starship-double-catch/) — Astronomy Magazine, 2026-11-09
- [SpaceX will launch epic double-catch Starship Flight 15 test mission on Nov. 13](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-will-launch-epic-double-catch-starship-flight-15-test-mission-on-nov-13) — Latest from Space.com, 2026-11-09

Tags: spacex, starship, rocket launch, reusability, spaceflight

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science