Starship Booster Diverts From Tower Catch During Flight 15

SpaceX launched its 124-metre Starship rocket from Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, at 16:45 by local clocks on November 13. The company had planned to catch the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower’s mechanical arms about six and a half minutes later, but the booster instead headed for a backup landing over the ocean and exploded after splashdown.

SpaceX’s Dan Huot said the booster had initially been cleared to attempt the catch, then detected a guidance, navigation and control issue during its return. The system redirected it to the offshore landing area and activated the flight termination system. Huot said the safety system had acted as intended; the reason the booster was out of position is still being investigated.

The upper stage, called the Ship, remained in orbit and deployed 26 Starlink satellites. SpaceX planned to assess the vehicle before deciding whether to attempt a tower catch when it returned to Starbase, about 22.5 hours after launch. The decision was expected around 15:15 local time on November 14.

The booster’s diversion interrupted a test intended to demonstrate recovery of both stages. SpaceX has caught the Super Heavy booster on three previous flights, but has not yet caught the Ship. Recovering and reusing the entire rocket could reduce launch costs and is relevant to NASA’s plans to use a Starship-derived lander for future lunar missions.