SpaceX Starship Flight 15 Set for Nov. 13 With Double Landing Try

Booster 22 moves to the pad

On Tuesday, SpaceX rolled Super Heavy Booster 22, the first stage for Flight 15, out to the launch pad so crews can begin stacking the vehicle. According to the company, Booster 22 is the first Super Heavy V3 booster planned to return to the launch site to be caught. On arrival it was used for final catch testing, including a suspended squeeze test at catch height.

SpaceX has already test-fired the engines on the Flight 15 vehicles, clearing one of the major milestones before launch.

Why it matters

SpaceX has been working toward rapid reuse of the entire Starship system, and landing both stages on the same flight is a key step in that plan. Recovering the booster and the ship together would show that the full stack can come back for refurbishment and another launch, which is central to lowering the cost of reaching orbit and to deploying large batches of Starlink V3 satellites.

The attempt is also a test of the catch approach at the launch site. Booster 22's catch rehearsals at the pad are meant to prove the hardware can handle the loads involved before a live return.

What comes next

With roughly three days to go from the stacking move, SpaceX is completing final prelaunch work. The company is expected to confirm remaining details as the Friday window approaches, and the flight will be streamed live. Whether both landings succeed will determine how quickly Starship can move from test flights toward routine, reusable operations.