SpaceX says its next Starship test, Flight 15, is planned for November 13 and will attempt something the programme has never done before: catching both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, known as the ship. The company posted the plan on its own website, which is the only source for the details published so far.
The idea behind the catch is reuse. If a returning booster can be caught by the launch tower instead of splashing down in the sea, it can be inspected, refurbished and flown again more quickly. Doing the same with the ship is the harder half of the equation, and success is not guaranteed.
Starship Flight 15: what SpaceX says it will attempt
SpaceX has confirmed the date and the goal, but it has not announced further mission details in the material available. Treat the timeline as a plan, not a promise: test flights are routinely moved for weather, hardware checks or regulatory clearances, and the company has not stated when the launch window opens or closes.
A double catch would push Starship's reusability further than any previous flight. The booster catch has been the headline of recent tests, while the ship's return and recovery remain the more demanding task. SpaceX has framed the mission as an attempt, not a certainty, and the company has not published the hardware configuration or trajectory for Flight 15.
- What: Starship Flight 15, the next integrated test flight
- When: planned for November 13, according to SpaceX
- The attempt: catch the Super Heavy booster
- The attempt: catch the ship as well
- Where the plan came from: SpaceX's own website
