SpaceX plans first dual catch of Starship rocket stages next month

SpaceX plans to attempt catching both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship ship during its upcoming Flight 15 mission in November 2026, Tech Insider reported on October 20. Elon Musk confirmed the attempt, which is set to take place next month, according to Space.com as cited by Tech Insider. TeslaNorth.com also reported that SpaceX will attempt to catch both stages on Flight 15 next month. [1][7]

The company states that successfully recovering both halves during the same mission would mark the first full recovery of an orbital-class launch vehicle after a single flight. As FTMQ Space reported earlier, the uncrewed Flight 15 mission is scheduled to launch from Starbase, Texas, using Booster 22 and Ship 42. [1][11]

Starship is a two-stage, super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed by SpaceX to be fully reusable. The system is being developed to replace the company's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, aiming to offer the highest payload capacity of any launch vehicle to date. [8]

The Starship program plays a central role in future plans for lunar landings, Mars logistics, and satellite deployments, Tech Insider reported. FTMQ Space reported earlier that SpaceX expects to complete five Starship launches in total during 2026. [1][11]