SpaceX aims to catch Starship 15 on Friday
The company plans to recover both the spacecraft and booster for the first time while navigating a land deal near its Starbase facility.
By Mia Bennett ·
SpaceX plans to launch Starship 15 as soon as 4:45 p.m. Central Time on Friday. The mission targets the first full recovery of both the spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster. If the company succeeds, both vehicles will return to Starbase in South Texas.
The spacecraft will enter Low Earth Orbit at roughly 170 miles above the surface. It is scheduled to complete about 14 orbits over 22 hours. Starship will deploy 26 Starlink satellites during this period. The vehicle is expected to return to Earth around Saturday afternoon.
CEO Elon Musk stated in October that the company will only attempt the catch if the spacecraft enters the correct trajectory. He noted that success is more likely than not on this flight. SpaceX has a steady stream of flight attempts planned through the end of the year.
The launch is being livestreamed on X and SpaceX’s website. This follows the company’s first orbital flight of the Starship spacecraft, which occurred more than a month ago. Starship is the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built.
The launch comes as Texas politics shift with new Democratic state officials taking office in January. Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has expressed skepticism toward data centers and related development. She asked the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to pause discussions on selling land near Boca Chica.
SpaceX clarified its position in a release hours before the potential launch. The company said it is not proposing to buy the beach itself. Instead, it seeks 1,200 acres surrounding the launch facility. The land consists largely of mudflats and fragile coastal dunes.
The company stated the proposal aims to improve public safety and protect coastal habitat. SpaceX said it would conserve about half of the land under a permanent conservation easement. It also said the beach remains public and accessible.
