SpaceXs Starship Successfully Completes 15th Flight Test, Marks Milestone with Catch by Launch Tower
SpaceXs Starship returns successfully, caught by the launch tower for the first time, completing its 15th flight test in Texas.
Texas, November 15 (Daily Kiran) : SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft has successfully completed its 15th flight test, returning to its launch site in Texas where it was caught by the mechanical arms of the launch tower. This marks a significant milestone for the program.
The enormous rocket launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility on Friday afternoon. Approximately 22.5 hours later, on Saturday at 3:20 PM Central Time, it returned to the launch site. This mission aimed to capture both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft using the launch tower’s mechanical arms.
However, after stage separation, the booster did not return to the launch site as planned. Instead, it was submerged in the Gulf of Mexico, according to reports from Xinhua News Agency.
During its flight, the Starship completed its orbital insertion burn and successfully deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. After deploying the payload, the spacecraft entered a long coast phase, spending over 20 hours in space. The SpaceX flight control team then began preparations for its return.
The Starship reactivated one of its Raptor C-level engines to perform a deorbit burn, allowing it to descend back towards Earth. It approached the Texas coast, passing over the Gulf of Mexico before executing a landing flip. Upon nearing the launch site, the mechanical arms of the tower successfully caught the spacecraft, marking the first instance of such a recovery.
In its previous flight test on September 28, the Starship had reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. The Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, collectively known as Starship, are designed as a fully reusable rocket system intended to transport crew and cargo to Earth’s orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
