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SpaceX Plans First Full Starship Recovery With Back-to-Back Catches on Nov. 13

SpaceX Plans First Full Starship Recovery With Back-to-Back Catches on Nov. 13
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SpaceX plans to launch Starship Flight 15 on Friday, Nov. 13, in an attempt to bring both stages of its giant rocket back to the launch pad, Space.com reported. If it works, it would be the first full recovery of an orbital rocket in history.

Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 5:45 p.m. EST (2245 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas. The company has said it has a 75-minute window, so the launch could happen anytime until 7 p.m. EST. In local time, that is 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST.

The Flight 15 schedule, step by step

SpaceX has not formally announced whether it has backup days. Based on past Starship missions that saw delays, Space.com said liftoff on a later day would likely come at the same time.

Why Flight 15 is different

This is the 15th test flight of the stainless-steel, reusable Starship, the largest launch vehicle ever built. Earlier flights did not try to return an entire rocket. This time SpaceX wants the booster and the ship to land at their launch pad, about 22 hours apart.

SpaceX wants to use Starship for everything from launching Starlink internet satellites to landing NASA Artemis astronauts on the moon in 2028, and eventually crewed flights to Mars. According to Space.com, the company first has to recover and refly both stages, something it has never done.

What it means for people who want to watch

Anyone can watch online. Space.com will simulcast the launch on its site and its YouTube channel, VideoFromSpace. SpaceX will stream it on its Flight 15 mission page and on its X account, and the broadcast is the same one Space.com carries. NASASpaceflight also offers live views of the Starship pads at Starbase around the clock.

For those who want to see it in person, Space.com said SpaceX has no official viewing site for Starship launches, but several public beaches and private campgrounds offer views. The outlet’s writer recommends the Cameron County Amphitheater at Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island, 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the launch site, with a clear view across the bay and nearby bathrooms. Traffic can be heavy, especially on the bridge from Port Isabel, so Space.com advises arriving early.

Another option is Highway 48 between Port Isabel and Brownsville, Texas, where drivers can pull over on the shoulder 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km) away. There are no bathrooms there, and the Space.com writer said he has not tried stopping there himself. On the Mexican side of the border, Playa Bagdad is a public beach that SpaceLaunchSchedule.com describes as having a head-on view of the launch tower.

What to watch for next

The launch time could shift within the 75-minute window, and Space.com notes there is a chance of a later liftoff. Viewers should keep an eye on the livestreams, which begin 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by Space.com

Cover photo: Steve Jurvetson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped

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