SpaceX called off the Super Heavy booster catch during Starship Flight 15. The booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, but Ship 42 reached orbit and deployed 26 satellites. It could still make history if it completes a successful launch-tower recovery when it returns on Sunday, November 15.

SpaceX called off Starship's Super Heavy booster catch during Flight 15, but Ship 42 has reached orbit and could still attempt a historic launch-tower recovery.

SpaceX fell short of making rocket history during Starship Flight 15 after its Super Heavy booster was diverted from a planned catch by the launch tower's giant mechanical arms, nicknamed Chopsticks.

SUPER HEAVY BOOSTER MISSES ITS MARK

The mission began successfully, with the two sections of the rocket separating as planned. However, SpaceX called off the Super Heavy booster's planned return to the launch tower and redirected it towards an offshore landing.

The booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico around six-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, bringing an end to the first attempted recovery of the upgraded Super Heavy V3.

SpaceX has not publicly established the precise reason for abandoning the catch.

But the development meant the company could not achieve its ambitious goal of recovering both sections of Starship during the same flight.

STARSHIP MAY STILL MAKE HISTORY

The upper stage, known as Ship 42, has had a more encouraging flight so far.

It reached orbit and deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the second time the megarocket has successfully reached orbit.

The spacecraft is expected to complete around 14 trips around Earth during a mission lasting more than 22 hours, with its return scheduled for the wee hours of Sunday, November 15.

If it makes the journey back safely, SpaceX will attempt to catch it using the tower's mechanical arms.

Unlike the booster, which returns within minutes, Starship must survive the intense heat of re-entering Earth's atmosphere before approaching the launch tower.

A successful catch would be a first for an orbital spacecraft of this kind and a major step towards making the entire rocket reusable.

WHY IS FLIGHT 15 A BIG DEAL FOR SPACEX?

Reusability is central to Musk's plans to make space launches more frequent and less expensive.

Starship is also expected to carry larger batches of Starlink satellites, support future Moon missions and eventually help transport people and cargo to Mars.

Nasa has selected Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme, with a crewed Moon landing targeted for 2028. However, major milestones, including transferring fuel between spacecraft in orbit, remain ahead.

Flight 15 may have missed one historic opportunity, but its most ambitious test is still to come.