Starship Flight 15 reaches orbit, no booster catch
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SpaceX launched its 15th Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas on Friday evening, and the upper stage reached orbit. According to Ars Technica, the ship deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites about 40 minutes into the flight, and all of them made it into orbit.
The booster did not get its planned tower catch. Ars Technica reports that an unspecified issue led the Super Heavy stage to be commanded into a divert into the Gulf instead, where it ended in a large explosion. SpacePolicyOnline notes that SpaceX had not said what went wrong, and that the three booster catches so far came on flights 5, 7 and 8.
The bigger test comes next. SpacePolicyOnline says the ship is meant to make 14 orbits over about 22 hours and return to Starbase on Saturday. Ars Technica says it would land around 3:15 pm local time (21:15 UTC) only if it passes a series of health checks, and SpaceX has the option to bring it down in the ocean earlier. SpaceX has never tried to catch an upper stage.
Heat protection is the thing to watch. Ars Technica says this ship carries extra tile retention mechanisms and a curved tile design meant to reduce heating in the gaps between tiles, after problems on recent flights.
Why it matters: a ship caught by the tower would be the first step toward flying the same vehicle again quickly, which is what makes the whole programme affordable. Do you think SpaceX will try the catch on the first attempt?