Starship / Flight 15

Starship Flight 15: the first attempt to catch both stages

Launch window opens

13 Nov, 22:45 UTC

Fri 13 Nov 2026, 4:45 p.m. CT (22:45 UTC) · 75-minute window · pending regulatory approval

Starbase, Texas (Pad 2)

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The mission

SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 for Friday 13 November 2026 from Pad 2 at Starbase, pending regulatory approval. The 75-minute window opens at 4:45 p.m. CT (22:45 UTC). That is a published window, not a guaranteed lift-off time.

For the first time SpaceX plans to try to catch both stages with the tower: Super Heavy minutes after launch, and the Ship after a flight of more than 22 hours, about 14 orbits at roughly 275 km, during which it deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites.

If both catches work, it would be the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. Super Heavy boosters have been caught before; an orbital ship never has.

Why the heat shield matters

Bringing the Ship home intact means surviving re-entry, and that is the heat shield's job.

  • About 18,000 hexagonal silica tiles cover the Ship's windward side.
  • The surface reaches around 1,400 °C (about 2,550 °F) during re-entry.
  • A ceramic felt layer, nicknamed the "crunchwrap", seals the gaps between tiles so hot gas cannot reach the steel.
  • Tiles clip onto welded studs instead of being glued, which makes them quicker to replace.
  • Tiles are made at SpaceX's Florida "Bakery": about 40 hours per tile. In October 2025 SpaceX said it was producing about 1,000 a day, with the line built for 7,000 a day.

Where to watch

Follow it on Supercharged Daily

Updates

Newest first. Each line carries its date and how sure we are: Disclosed (from the company), Reported (from outlets) or Target (a plan, not a result).

  1. Target SpaceX lists Flight 15 as soon as Friday 13 November, 4:45 p.m. CT (22:45 UTC), 75-minute window, pending regulatory approval. Source

Independent coverage. Not affiliated with SpaceX. Times are SpaceX's published window, not a guaranteed lift-off time.