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SpaceX Launches Starship But Passes Up Booster Catch for Safety's Sake

Universe Today · By Alan Boyle ·

SpaceX Launches Starship But Passes Up Booster Catch for Safety's Sake

The Brief · written from 15 sources

  • SpaceX launched Starship Flight 15 from Starbase, South Texas, on November 13, 2026, its first test flight in more than three years.
  • The booster catch planned minutes after liftoff was called off over safety concerns, so only the upper stage was targeted for recovery.
  • The Ship reached orbit, completed about 14 orbits over roughly 22.5 hours, and was caught by the launch tower arms on November 14.

Why it matters

A successful ship catch after an orbital flight is a step toward fully reusable launch vehicles, which would change the cost and cadence of access to orbit for science missions.

Who’s affected

  • aerospace engineers and launch providers
  • space scientists who depend on launch availability and cost
  • anyone following the commercial space industry

SpaceX sent its Starship on a flight that was meant to feature a first-ever retrieval of both rocket stages, but a launch-pad catch of the first-stage booster had to be canceled due to safety concerns.

Read the full story at universetoday.com ↗

Timeline

  1. Latest from Space.com

    SpaceX's Starship megarocket will launch to orbit on Nov. 13. Will you be able to spot it in the night sky?

  2. Starship Flight 15 launches from Starbase, Texas, with the booster catch cancelled

  3. NASASpaceFlight.com

    Starship Flight 15 to attempt first catch of both stages

  4. Latest from Space.com

    Watch SpaceX attempt a historic Starship launch and double-catch landing today (Nov. 13)

  5. Latest from Space.com

    'Don't panic': SpaceX pens familiar message on Starship ahead of historic double-catch test flight

  6. Space News - Space, Astronomy, Space Exploration

    SpaceX Starship test to attempt first-ever spaceship 'catch'

  7. Space - Ars Technica

    Rocket Report: Starship set for historic test flight; a century of Electron

  8. Latest from Space.com

    Double-catch drama: Why Starship's Flight 15 is so important to SpaceX

  9. Spaceflight Now

    Live Coverage: Starship Flight 15 attempts to recover full vehicle in double launch pad catch

  10. Astronomy Magazine

    How to watch Starship Flight 15

  11. Universe Today

    SpaceX Launches Starship But Passes Up Booster Catch for Safety's Sake

  12. Latest from Space.com

    SpaceX launches Starship on ambitious 22-hour Flight 15 test, but aborts booster 'chopsticks' catch (video)

  13. SpacePolicyOnline.com

    Starship IFT-15 is in Orbit — Will it be “Caught” When It Returns to Earth?

  14. Ship returns after about 14 orbits and is caught by the launch tower arms

  15. Space - Ars Technica

    Starship flight 15 powers to orbit—setting up a possible catch on Saturday

  16. SpacePolicyOnline.com

    SpaceX Catches a Starship

  17. Universe Today

    Baby, She's Back! SpaceX Catches a Starship From Orbit for First Time

Full coverage · 15 sources

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