SpaceX Launches Starship Flight 15 in Bid for Groundbreaking Reuse
SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket from Texas for a 22-hour test flight aimed at achieving a historic catch of the reusable spacecraft.
🏢CompaniesPhoto: The Guardian Business
Key points
- SpaceX launched Starship Flight 15 from Starbase, Texas, on Friday afternoon.
- The mission is designed for about 14 orbits over 22 hours.
- Engineers plan to attempt a mid-air catch of the rocket upon its return.
SpaceX successfully launched its Starship megarocket from its facility in south Texas on Friday afternoon, initiating a crucial test flight designed to advance the company's reusable rocket technology. Known as Flight 15, the mission is scheduled to complete roughly 14 orbits around the Earth over a 22-hour duration.
Following its orbital trajectory, aerospace engineers plan to attempt a complex maneuver to catch the returning rocket at the Starbase launchpad. If successful, the operation will mark a significant milestone in rapid rocket reuse, a core component of SpaceX's long-term commercial and exploratory business model.
What to watch next: Monitor the successful completion of the 22-hour orbital path and the attempt to catch the vehicle at the Texas launch site.
Source The Guardian Business — theguardian.com/science/2026/nov/13/spacex-starship-megarocket-blas… ↗
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