Starship reached orbit and deployed satellites, but its giant first-stage booster failed to return to the launch site<\/p>\n
Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX has launched the world\u2019s largest and most powerful rocket, attempting to recover an entire orbital launch system for the first time in history.
\nThe 124-meter (407-foot) Starship blasted off from the company\u2019s Starbase facility in southern Texas on Friday, carrying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites into orbit.
\nThe mission was designed to demonstrate that both stages of the giant rocket could return to the launch site and be caught by mechanical arms attached to the launch tower, allowing them to be refurbished and reused.<\/p>\n
Liftoff of Starship! https:\/\/t.co\/lc7UtE6H7z\u2014 SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 13, 2026<\/p>\n
However, the Super Heavy booster failed to return to the tower as planned, instead making a fiery landing in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX did not immediately explain the failure, although safety systems diverted the booster offshore.<\/p>\n
Starship Flight 15 Super Heavy Booster soft water landing.<\/p>\n
Landing looked so smooth. It hovered for a good amount of time. https:\/\/t.co\/V9NW4O9Dv9\u2014 Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) November 14, 2026<\/p>\n
The Starship upper stage continued into orbit and successfully deployed its satellite payload. It is expected to circle Earth approximately 15 times before attempting to return to Texas on Saturday, where the company plans to catch it using the tower\u2019s giant mechanical arms.<\/p>\n
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If successful, the maneuver would mark the first recovery of a Starship spacecraft from orbit.
\nSpaceX has previously caught the Super Heavy booster three times, but recovering the upper stage presents a greater challenge because it must survive atmospheric reentry after traveling at orbital speeds.
\nStarship is also central to NASA\u2019s Artemis program, under which SpaceX is developing a modified version of the spacecraft to land American astronauts on the Moon. The latest test follows September\u2019s milestone flight, when Starship reached orbit for the first time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Starship reached orbit and deployed satellites, but its giant first-stage booster failed to return to the launch site Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX has launched the world\u2019s largest and most powerful rocket,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41130,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t