STARBASE, United States – SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit during its 15th test flight on Friday, November 13, marking another milestone in the development of the world’s largest rocket. However, the company failed to achieve its planned recovery of both rocket stages after a malfunction forced the Super Heavy booster to divert into the Gulf of Mexico, where it exploded.
The spacecraft, identified as Ship 42, successfully completed its orbital insertion and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The flight was designed to demonstrate an unprecedented double recovery, in which both the first-stage booster and upper-stage spacecraft would return to Starbase, Texas, to be caught by mechanical arms attached to the launch tower.
Booster malfunction prevents first recovery
Starship lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility at approximately 5:47 p.m. Eastern Time on November 13.
Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster, designated Booster 22, began its planned return towards the launch site. However, the recovery sequence was aborted, and the vehicle was redirected towards the Gulf of Mexico rather than attempting to land between the mechanical arms of the launch tower.
The booster subsequently struck the water and exploded, preventing SpaceX from completing the first half of its planned double catch.
SpaceX commentator Dan Huot said flight controllers would investigate what caused the recovery abort. Preliminary explanations later pointed towards a possible guidance and navigation control problem, although the company had not released a definitive technical finding.
Spacecraft reaches orbit and deploys 26 satellites
Despite the booster failure, Ship 42 continued its ascent and successfully performed its orbital insertion burn.
SpaceX confirmed that the spacecraft reached orbit, marking only the second time the Starship system had achieved orbital insertion. Its previous orbital flight occurred during Flight 14 in September 2026.
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The spacecraft subsequently deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites, completing an important part of the mission’s payload objectives. The satellites are designed to expand SpaceX’s next-generation broadband constellation.
The successful deployment demonstrated that the upper stage could complete a significant operational task even after the first-stage recovery attempt had failed.
First orbital return and catch attempt remains ahead
The mission also represents SpaceX’s first attempt to return Starship’s upper stage from orbit directly to its launch site for recovery.
Unlike the Super Heavy booster, which SpaceX has previously caught using the launch tower’s mechanical arms, the upper-stage spacecraft has not yet completed such a recovery.
At the latest reported mission update on Saturday, November 14, Ship 42 remained in orbit and was preparing for its planned return. SpaceX had scheduled the landing attempt for approximately 4:16 p.m. Eastern Time, subject to flight conditions and further decisions by mission controllers.
The spacecraft’s heat shield had been assessed using ground-based tracking cameras and cameras aboard some of the deployed Starlink satellites. SpaceX said the available imagery indicated that the heat shield remained in suitable condition for atmospheric re-entry.
The planned recovery will use the launch tower’s mechanical arms, commonly called chopsticks, to capture the descending spacecraft.
Mission advances SpaceX’s reusable rocket programmed
Starship is central to SpaceX’s plans for more frequent and lower-cost space transportation. The fully reusable system consists of the Super Heavy first-stage booster and the Starship upper-stage spacecraft.
The company aims to recover and reuse both stages, reducing the need to manufacture a new rocket for every mission.
The technology is also important to NASA’s Artemis programmed. NASA has committed billions of dollars to SpaceX’s development of a Starship lunar lander intended to transport astronauts to the Moon.
During the planned Artemis III mission, astronauts are expected to practice docking operations involving spacecraft in Earth orbit, including systems developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
The November 13 flight demonstrated progress in orbital operations and satellite deployment, but the failed booster recovery showed that significant engineering challenges remain.
Spacecraft recovery will determine the next milestone
At the time of the latest available update, Starship had completed its orbital insertion and satellite deployment, while the upper-stage recovery attempt remained pending.
The loss of Booster 22 prevented SpaceX from achieving its planned double catch, but the mission continued towards its more ambitious second recovery attempt.
The outcome of the spacecraft’s return will provide another important assessment of the heat shield, flight-control systems and launch-tower recovery technology needed to make Starship fully reusable.
Primary Sources: SpaceX, Starship Flight 15 mission webcast and flight updates, November 13–14, 2026, documenting liftoff, stage separation, the aborted Super Heavy booster recovery, successful orbital insertion, deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites and the planned upper-stage return; SpaceX flight commentator Dan Huot, November 13–14, 2026, providing mission updates on the booster recovery abort and subsequent spacecraft operations. The complete official flight transcript and a final post-flight technical report were not independently retrieved.
