Starship Flight 15 launched Nov. 13, but AP reported Super Heavy was diverted to the Gulf after its catch attempt was aborted, while Ship's return remained planned for Saturday, leaving SpaceX's dual-recovery plan incomplete.
The launch tower's arms were to retrieve Super Heavy and Ship, Starship's upper stage. SpaceX says a dual recovery would be a first for an orbital launch system.
SpaceX caught Super Heavy on Flight 7, Jan. 16, 2025. Before Flight 15, it had not caught Ship with the tower. EconoTimes covered the two-stage recovery plan.
CBS News published Jason Allen's Flight 15 preview, focused on Starship reusability.
