SpaceX began its 15th test flight of the Starship system on Friday at 5:47 p.m. ET from the Starbase launch complex in South Texas. The mission, the longest orbital flight for the vehicle to date, is designed to place 26 Starlink internet satellites into orbit and then attempt a controlled, upright landing of the Starship spacecraft back at the launch tower known as Mechazilla – a maneuver never before achieved in rocketry.
Launch and booster recovery attempt
Following liftoff, the Super Heavy booster that propelled Starship attempted to steer back to the launch tower for a pinpoint landing. Minutes after ascent, the booster’s guidance maneuver proved unsuccessful, and SpaceX redirected the booster to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico rather than attempt a dry‑land recovery. The company reported that one of the booster’s 33 Raptor engines flamed out prematurely, prompting the decision to dispose of the booster at sea.
Orbital operations and satellite deployment
Starship successfully reached orbit and deployed the full complement of 26 Starlink satellites without incident. Three of the satellites carried cameras specifically tasked with imaging the spacecraft’s heat shield as it separated from the cargo bay. According to SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot, engineers reviewed imagery from both ground‑based tracking cameras and the satellite‑borne cameras and confirmed that the heat‑shield tiles were in a good posture for re‑entry. The heat shield, composed of hexagonal ceramic tiles, is a critical component for protecting the vehicle during the high‑temperature re‑entry phase, which can exceed 2,000 °F (1,090 °C).
The orbital segment of the flight is slated to last 22 hours and 33 minutes, during which the Starship will circle the Earth while telemetry on engine health, power systems, flight computers, navigation sensors, propellant tank integrity, and attitude control is continuously analyzed. The mission’s health‑check protocol includes three predefined checkpoints; Starship passed the second checkpoint, which follows the first milestone reached roughly an hour and a half after launch.
Prospects for a historic return landing
If all systems remain nominal, SpaceX will attempt to guide Starship back from orbit for an upright touchdown within the arms of Mechazilla. This would be the first time a launch vehicle of Starship’s size—large enough to contain more than 100 Apollo command modules by volume—has landed vertically on its own launch tower. In the event of a problem, pre‑cleared splash‑down zones off the coast of Chile, used previously in Flight 14, are available as contingency locations.
SpaceX’s approach to risk management was highlighted by comments from former lead software engineer Austin Spiegel, who noted that tighter software tolerances contributed to an engine computer failure on the earlier Flight 14. That incident, which forced an early termination of the September mission, underscored the importance of extensive flight data for future launches. Jeremy Pedro, SpaceX’s director of Starship propulsion, recalled that the team initially believed the loss of an engine on Flight 14 meant the mission was over, but CEO Elon Musk urged continuation, a decision later affirmed by the FAA as within approved flight criteria.
The successful deployment of Starlink satellites and the ongoing health checks keep SpaceX on track for a potential return‑to‑launch‑site landing on Saturday afternoon. A positive outcome would mark a major milestone for the company’s commercial launch services, reinforcing its position as a leader in heavy‑lift, reusable launch technology.
Mitchell Landsberg is a Senior Technology Correspondent at News Raise. He covers consumer electronics, artificial intelligence, software developments, and digital privacy trends.
