SpaceX’s 15th Starship Integrated Flight Test (IFT-15) returned to Earth today and was “caught” back at the launch tower after orbiting Earth 14 times. It’s a milestone achievement for the company and for spaceflight.
IFT-15 lifted off at 5:47 pm ET yesterday, November 13, from Starbase, Texas. It’s only the second time SpaceX has attempted to put Starship into orbit. The first time was IFT-14 two months ago, and was largely successful. No attempt was made to recover the vehicle and it splashed down in the north Pacific a little more than three hours after launch and making almost two orbits.
Starship IFT-15 made 14 orbits and returned to the launch site at Starbase, TX, where it was “caught” at the launch tower by arms dubbed Mechazilla or “chopsticks.”
Mechazilla catches Starship! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on this incredible achievement! https://t.co/YJzmGUZb2B
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 14, 2026
SpaceX has caught three Super Heavy Boosters, the rocket’s first stage, that returned to the tower minutes after liftoff (IFT-5, IFT-7 and IFT-8), but this is the first attempt to catch the second stage, Starship, after an orbital mission.
Starship is designed to be fully reusable with fast turnaround times. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk envisions thousands of Starship launches per year from at least three sites: Starbase; Kennedy Space Center, FL, where the first Starship could launch this year; and the newly announced site to be built in Vermilion Parish , LA.
When fully operational, Starship will be the first completely reusable orbital spacecraft. NASA’s Space Shuttle is the closest in comparison. Over 30 years, the five shuttles successfully returned from orbit 133 times, landing on a runway. The shuttle’s Solid Rocket Boosters also were reusable, but not the Core Stage.
SpaceX hoped this flight would be the one to claim the prize for first fully reusable orbital mission, but the first stage Booster didn’t return to the launch tower yesterday as planned. The guidance, navigation and control system determined Booster was not in the correct position and automatically diverted it to splash down in the Gulf. SpaceX is still investigating the root cause.
Otherwise, IFT-15 performed just as planned, not only in terms of launch and reentry, but deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The V3 satellites are much larger than the previous versions and cannot be launched on Falcons, SpaceX’s other rocket family. Launching Starlink satellites and, in the future, Orbital Data Centers, will be Starship’s main cargo.
Each Booster and Starship is designated with a number. This was Booster 22 and Starship 42 (S42). SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is an aficionado of Douglas Adams’ classic book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which 42 is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” The book’s catchphrase is “Don’t Panic,” which is inscribed on the side of this Starship. Adding to the fun, by chance Starship was caught at 4:20 pm EST (2120:02 UTC per Jonathan McDowell ), although it was 3:20 pm local time in Texas.
SpaceX also is under contract to NASA to build a Human Landing System (HLS) version of Starship to put American astronauts back on the Moon starting in 2028. The HLS version requires in-orbit refueling to reach the Moon. Starship uses cryogenic propellants and SpaceX has not yet demonstrated in-space cryogenic refueling, which also will be needed for Musk’s goal of sending millions of people to live on Mars.
IFT-15 is a step in that direction, though many more steps are needed.
NASA’s Artemis III mission next year will test rendezvous and docking between the Orion capsule and Starship, although it is a standard Starship, not the HLS version. A docking adapter will be attached to Starship to enable docking with Orion, but the crew will not be able to enter Starship. The Artemis III crew will also test rendezvous and docking with Blue Origin’s HLS, Blue Moon MK2, and they will be able to go inside that one.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on today’s success.
Congrats to @elonmusk and the @SpaceX team! It was almost magic..Making more believers by the day….one step closer to 🌖🇺🇸 https://t.co/PYs9yNQMdg
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) November 14, 2026
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