SpaceX announced that its first proper attempt to catch the Starship model would take place during its next launch. Now there’s a date attached to the bonkers plan to save a fifty-metre-tall rocket from explosive doom. 13 November is the (still tentative) date for the space company’s next launch.
There are still hurdles before Starship 15 can go ahead. One is regulatory approval, which needs to hurry up since SpaceX hopes to conduct the launch this week. When the company revealed its plans during its Q3 2026 financial results, we pointed out that there were plenty more chances if everyone’s willing to wait.
Starship, catch
If the launch and dual catch of both the SpaceX Super Heavy booster and the Starship module itself go ahead, it’ll happen on 14 November. Technically, it’ll be 13 November, since the launch happens in the States. Watchers here in South Africa can tune into the usual live stream from 00h45 on the fourteenth. If the rocket hasn’t gone up by 02h00, we’ll have to wait for the next launch window.
When the mission does go ahead, it’ll include more than just catching a burning building (twice). Another 26 Starlink V3 satellites will be on board. These have to launch and deploy before the Starship module returns to Earth and into the waiting arms of Mechazilla. That’s the tower that will catch the falling orbital object. Or explode in the attempt, along with the rocket itself.
The mission also plans to check heatshield improvements made over Mission 14, which was the first time Starship made it into orbit. On that occasion, it returned to the atmosphere ahead of schedule but still got all the way back before touching down in the ocean. That was apparently enough to persuade SpaceX to start reusing the main rocket and the Super Heavy booster.
