SpaceX is preparing to take rocket reusability to the next level. During its upcoming test flight on Friday, the company will attempt to catch both stages of its Starship rocket for the first time. Beyond the spectacle, the double catch attempt represents a crucial test of the company’s plans to make Starship fully reusable.
Starship’s flight 15 is scheduled for launch on Friday, November 13, during a 75-minute launch window that opens at 5:45 p.m. ET. While SpaceX has successfully caught Starship’s Super Heavy booster three times before, this will be the first attempt to catch the upper stage. Success would bring the company one step closer to demonstrating that its massive rocket can be recovered, refurbished, and launched again.
“If successful, this will mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket,” SpaceX wrote.
SpaceX has been building up to this moment for quite some time. During Starship’s latest test flight on September 28, the massive rocket reached orbit for the first time. It was a major step toward turning Starship into an operational launch vehicle, although the flight also exposed some lingering engine reliability issues.
SpaceX had planned a nearly 10-hour mission, including approximately six orbits around Earth. However, following an engine issue during ascent, the team opted to shorten the flight and bring Starship back sooner. The spacecraft performed its first-ever deorbit burn, survived atmospheric reentry, and successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean roughly three hours after launch.
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