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SpaceX says Starship Flight 15 booster aborted 'chopsticks' landing catch after launch due to guidance issue (video)

(The FTS is designed to destroy a booster in the event of an emergency.) As its name suggests, Starship Flight 15 is SpaceX's 15th test flight of the giant rocket, but it will be the first to attempt to catch a Ship upper stage with the chopsticks.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 5 sources•1 min read•Updated November 14, 2026, 2:53 PM UTC
Key points
  • The test flight is SpaceX's first attempt to ​catch both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage spacecraft of the rocket at its launch site in Starbase, Texas.
  • But that's just what SpaceX is going to try to do with a Starship launch on Friday, and an upper stage landing attempt 22.5 hours later on Saturday afternoon, local time.
  • The attempt follows an unsuccessful effort to catch of the rocket’s booster which instead came down in the ocean.

"Starship will only execute a return to launch site if the flight control team has ensured that the vehicle systems critical for reentry maneuvers and final landing burn and tower approach are healthy," SpaceX wrote in its Flight 15 mission description.

Additional details
  • STARBASE, Texas—Starship lifted off right on schedule Friday from South Texas, making its 15th test flight in more than three years.
  • The next launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron vehicle is due to lift off from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand on November 14 at 5:30 UTC.
  • SpaceX had planned to catch and later reuse both stages of its biggest rocket for the first time.
  • The largely successful launch took place in the early evening; as the massive rocket rose into the atmosphere, the Sun sank toward the western horizon.
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How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Every article behind this summary — 9 articles from 5 outlets

Space.comNovember 14, 2026, 2:53 PM UTC → BBC WorldNovember 14, 2026, 2:18 PM UTC → Space.comNovember 14, 2026, 1:00 PM UTC → DW NewsNovember 14, 2026, 2:24 AM UTC → CNBCNovember 14, 2026, 1:18 AM UTC → Ars TechnicaNovember 14, 2026, 12:49 AM UTC → Space.comNovember 13, 2026, 11:20 PM UTC → Ars TechnicaNovember 13, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC → Space.comNovember 13, 2026, 5:05 AM UTC →

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