Starship flight 15 powers to orbit—setting up a possible catch on Saturday
Also reported by PBS NewsHour, Guardian World, CBS News, BBC World
Summary
SpaceX launched Starship from South Texas on its 15th test flight, and the upper stage reached low-Earth orbit. It deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites, while the booster diverted into the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to Starbase. SpaceX planned to attempt the first-ever catch of a Starship upper stage on Saturday, if the spacecraft passed health checks during its return.Key Facts
- Starship launched from Starbase, Texas, on Friday evening.
- The upper stage reached low-Earth orbit, marking the second time Starship has flown there.
- Starship deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites about 40 minutes into the flight.
- The satellites entered orbit and will use onboard propulsion to raise their altitude.
- The first-stage booster diverted into the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to the launch tower.
- SpaceX planned to attempt to catch the upper stage at Starbase on Saturday if it passed checks during orbit and reentry.
- The return would test the heat shield, which protects the spacecraft from intense heat as it passes through Earth's atmosphere.
- SpaceX aims to make Starship reusable and increase its launch rate.
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