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SpaceX catches Starship upper stage for first time on Flight 15

SpaceX caught Starship's upper stage with its launch tower arms for the first time after a 22-hour orbital test flight, but the Super Heavy booster was lost.

Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 3 min read
SpaceX Starship rocket on its launch pad in Texas
SpaceX Starship ignition during IFT-5.jpg by Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quick answer

On its 15th test flight, SpaceX caught Starship's upper stage with the launch tower's mechanical arms in Texas on Saturday, the first successful catch of the Ship. The planned double catch failed: the Super Heavy booster's catch was aborted shortly after Friday's launch and it exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Key facts

  • SpaceX caught Starship's upper stage on its launch tower for the first time.
  • The Ship orbited Earth 14 times on a 22-hour mission.
  • The Super Heavy booster aborted its catch and exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The flight deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
  • It was only the second time Starship has reached Earth orbit.

A first catch for the Ship

SpaceX caught the upper stage of its Starship rocket with the mechanical arms of its Texas launch tower on Saturday, the first time it has pulled this off. The 171ft (52m) stage descended into the arms, nicknamed "chopsticks", at the end of a 22-hour mission in which it orbited Earth 14 times.

The Ship came back a few minutes behind schedule, at around 15:20 local time (21:20 GMT). "Can you believe it?" a commentator said as large crowds cheered at the launch site.

It was only the second time Starship has reached Earth orbit. The vehicle also deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites during the flight.

Why the double catch failed

Flight 15 was meant to be a double catch, with both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship returning to the tower instead of being recovered from the ocean. That plan ended a few minutes after Friday's launch, when the booster's catch was aborted and it was diverted out to sea. The Guardian reported that it exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, while the BBC described it bursting into flames just above the water.

The booster's guidance, navigation and control system triggered the no-go. "It was doing what it was supposed to do. Basically, it detected that the booster was not in the place it was supposed to be to proceed with a catch," SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said early on Saturday. Chief executive Elon Musk said the booster was also "slightly low on fuel".

What it means for NASA's Moon plans

NASA plans to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028 and has contracted SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin for the mission. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman praised the flight on X: "Making more believers by the day." Isaacman is an ally of Musk, who advised Donald Trump to appoint him to lead the agency.

The Guardian called the return to the tower a milestone in SpaceX's effort to make the craft suitable for human spaceflight.

Faster flights planned

Musk said on a recent earnings call that SpaceX plans to move Starship test flights to a weekly, then twice-weekly, cadence. He wants the rocket to be rapidly reusable, landing and taking off much like an aeroplane, and has presented that reusability as a way to cut the enormous cost of spaceflight. Beyond the Moon, he has also pushed a plan to carry humans to Mars.

Frequently asked questions

Did SpaceX catch Starship?

Yes. The upper stage, known as the Ship, was caught by the launch tower's arms on Saturday, the first successful catch of that stage. The Super Heavy booster was lost.

What happened to the Super Heavy booster on Flight 15?

Its catch was aborted a few minutes after launch, and it was diverted to sea and exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX said it was not in the right position for a catch, and Musk said it was slightly low on fuel.

How long was Starship's 15th test flight?

The Ship's mission lasted 22 hours and it orbited Earth 14 times.

Why does Starship matter for NASA?

NASA has contracted SpaceX and Blue Origin for its plan to return humans to the Moon, with 2028 as the target date.

Topics: spacexstarshipelon musknasaspaceflight

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