- Both stages would return to the launch site under the proposed mission plan.
- Heatshield imagery is one input to the upper stage’s return decision.
SpaceX is targeting November 13 for Starship Flight 15, pending regulatory approval, with a plan to catch both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage back at the launch site. 12
The company’s mission plan calls for roughly 14 orbits over a flight lasting more than 22 hours. Its approximate timeline puts the booster catch at 6 minutes 35 seconds and the ship catch at 22 hours 32 minutes. 1
The ship would deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites. Three carry cameras intended to inspect its heatshield, feeding one of several checks before a return decision. SpaceX says the upper stage would head back only if systems needed for reentry, the landing burn and tower approach are healthy. 1
Bloomboff's take
The catch is the flashy bit; deciding whether the ship is fit to come home is the consequential bit. Reuse needs a return worth repeating. Gravity, annoyingly, does not grade on ambition.
