SpaceX will hold its 15th Starship test launch on November 13

Elon Musk's company SpaceX will hold the 15th test launch of the Starship rocket system on November 13, the company said. The launch will take place subject to approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The start window will last 75 minutes and will open at 16:45 Central Standard Time (01:45 Moscow time on November 14). The main feature of the mission is the first ever attempt to return to the launch pad of Starbase and capture the tower with mechanical “hands” both the Super Heavy accelerator and the Starship ship. If both operations succeed, it will be the first time an orbiting rocket has returned to Earth completely, with all parts returning without landing supports or splashdowns.

For the V3 Super Heavy accelerator, this will be the first return and capture attempt – the previous three successful intercepts were performed with earlier versions of the accelerators. The Starship will launch 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit, three of which are equipped with cameras to capture the heat shield and transmit images to Earth. During the 14th flight, Starship also delivered a V3 into orbit, but one of the Raptor engines shut down prematurely, causing the mission to be shortened.

Starship is SpaceX’s reusable super-heavy rocket that the company is developing for future missions to the moon, Mars and other space missions.

The return of the ship to Starbase is only possible with an appropriate FAA license, as the trajectory involves flying over populated areas. SpaceX is developing its own criteria for Starship's readiness to return, but legally the operation requires regulatory approval. Elon Musk rated the chances of success of the first double takeover as "rather yes than no," adding that in case of failure, the company will continue to try until the end of the year.

On September 28, SpaceX launched the world’s most powerful Starship spacecraft into Earth orbit for the first time. This was the 14th test flight of the system. The previous test flight took place in July 2026. While in space, Starship was able to re-start one of its Raptor engines. After that, the ship began to descend and a little more than an hour after launch splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Starship landed vertically on the surface of the water, then slowly overturned. The rocket was launched on the second attempt. The primary flight was interrupted less than a second before liftoff.