SpaceX is preparing to attempt the first recovery of a Starship spacecraft on land during the vehicle's 15th test flight, a milestone that would mark a new step for the company's reusable rocket program. The launch is scheduled for Friday from Starbase in South Texas, where the upper stage is expected to return to the site about 22 hours after liftoff.
The mission is the second Starship flight to carry operational Starlink satellites. As of Friday morning, SpaceX had not yet received its launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration, a clearance that must be in hand before the rocket can fly.
The flight also includes a planned catch of the Super Heavy booster by the arms of the launch tower, the same method used on the most recent tower catch in March 2025. Successfully catching the upper stage would be the first time that part of the vehicle has been recovered this way.
Starship's previous flight in September reached orbit despite some engine shutdowns, and the spacecraft splashed down intact in the Pacific about three hours after launch. The company has set a goal of weekly launches by the first half of 2027, and it has said a Florida launchpad could become operational by the end of 2026.
The program is also central to NASA's lunar ambitions. NASA has paid SpaceX about $3.2 billion since 2021, and the company says it has invested at least $15 billion of its own money. A crewed moon landing is targeted for 2028, though that date is likely to slip. Fuel transfer between orbiting tankers remains an untested milestone, and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander is also under contract with NASA for the Artemis program, with a docking test planned for next year at an uncertain time.
Credit. Based on reporting by Craig Coglianese for KSEV Radio 700. Is this your work? Write to us.
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