Starship Flight 15

When does Flight 15 launch?

SpaceX is targeting Friday, Nov 13, 2026, pending regulatory approval. The 75-minute launch window opens at 4:45 p.m. CT, which is 22:45 UTC, and SpaceX’s webcast starts about 30 minutes before liftoff. “As is the case with all launches, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change,” SpaceX says.[1]

Elon Musk said on SpaceX’s Oct 20 earnings call that success is “not guaranteed on these first flights, but I’d say it’s more likely than not that this succeeds next flight.” SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the company expects its FAA license for Flight 15 to include a return to the launch site and tower catches for both stages.[2]

What is Flight 15 trying to do?

Catch both stages at the launch tower, which no one has done with an orbital rocket. SpaceX says a success would “mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system.”[1]

1. 01Catch the booster at the towerThe first return and catch attempt for a Super Heavy V3 booster. Three earlier boosters were caught, and two of those flew again.Planned
2. 02Reach orbit and release 26 Starlink V3 satellitesAbout 275 km (171 mi) up. Three of the satellites carry cameras to scan Starship’s heatshield.Planned
3. 03Circle Earth about 14 timesA flight of more than 22 hours, much longer than Flight 14’s three hours.Planned
4. 04Catch the ship at the towerA first. The ship heads back only if the systems it needs for reentry, the landing burn and the approach to the tower are healthy.Planned

The ship also carries an improved heatshield. It keeps the changes made for Flight 14, with extra fasteners on the tiles most at risk of coming off on the climb, and a large part of it uses a curved tile design that SpaceX says reduces heating in the gaps between tiles.[1]

The vehicle and the launch window

Booster

Super Heavy V3

Launch site

Starbase, Texas

Window opens

Fri Nov 13 · 22:45 UTC

Window length

75 minutes

Payload

26 Starlink V3 satellites

Planned flight time

More than 22 hours

Flight 15 timeline

1. T+0Liftoff from Starbase.Planned
2. T+2 min 19 sMost of the booster’s engines cut off; the ship lights its engines and separates (hot staging).Planned
3. T+2 min 26 sThe booster starts its boostback burn to head back to Starbase.Planned
4. T+6 min 35 sThe booster’s landing burn ends and the tower tries to catch it.Planned
5. T+8 min 9 sThe ship’s engines cut off.Planned
6. T+26 minA short burn puts the ship into orbit.Planned
7. T+35 minThe 26 Starlink V3 satellites start to deploy, finishing about 43 minutes later.Planned
8. T+21 h 36 minDeorbit burn.Planned
9. T+22 h 11 minThe ship enters the atmosphere.Planned
10. T+22 h 33 minLanding flip and burn, then the tower tries to catch the ship.Planned

Times after liftoff, as SpaceX planned them; SpaceX says all times are approximate. The exact liftoff time within the window will be known on the day.

Why it matters for Mars

A Starship that can be caught and flown again is central to SpaceX’s plans for Mars. SpaceX calls a full recovery “a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket.”[1] Starship also has to show it can be refilled with propellant in orbit, which SpaceX hasn’t done yet, before it can head for Mars.[3] SpaceX’s Mars plan tracks each step.

Sources

1. SpaceX - Starship Flight 15Primary · checked Nov 8, 2026
2. The Motley Fool - SpaceX Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (Elon Musk and Gwynne Shotwell on Flight 15)Secondary · checked Nov 7, 2026
3. Space.com - Starship just reached orbit for the 1st time. What’s next for the SpaceX megarocket?Secondary · checked Oct 2, 2026