David A. Johnston

SpaceX has officially announced that it is currently targeting November 13th at 5:45 PM ET for Starship's 15th flight. Flight info: "This flight is planned to be the first to return both Starship and Super Heavy to the launch site for catch. If successful, this will mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket." • Flight will last more than 22 hours, completing approximately 14 orbits around Earth. • Starship will orbit at an altitude of approximately 275 km (171 miles). • First attempt to recover both Super Heavy and Starship at the launch site during the same mission. • First return-to-launch-site and catch attempt for a Super Heavy V3 booster. • Super Heavy will execute launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and return to Starbase for a tower catch. • Starship will deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit before attempting its first return to Starbase and tower catch. • The 26 satellites will provide capacity equivalent to approximately 10 Falcon 9 launches carrying Starlink V2 Mini satellites. • Satellites will deploy antennas and solar arrays, establish radio and laser communications, and raise their orbits using onboard thrusters. • Satellites could begin serving customers within weeks of launch following successful on-orbit checkouts. • Three Starlink V3 satellites will carry cameras to inspect Starship's heatshield and transmit imagery to ground operators. • Starship's heatshield will feature improved tile retention, additional protection against plasma intrusion, and expanded use of curved tiles to reduce heating between tiles. • Starship will only attempt its return and catch if critical reentry, landing burn, and tower approach systems are confirmed healthy. • Multiple predetermined ocean deorbit locations and a passively safe suborbital trajectory provide contingency options. • A successful mission would mark the first complete recovery of an orbital launch system, a major milestone toward rapid reusability. More info: spacex.com/launches/starship…