Starship to fly over India tomorrow during historic double-catch test
What's the story
SpaceX is gearing up for a major milestone in its space exploration endeavors. The company will launch its massive Starship rocket on Saturday, November 14, from its Starbase facility in Texas, US. The 75-minute launch window will open at 4:15am IST and close at 5:30am. However, the timing is subject to regulatory approval and may change.
Rocket design
What is Starship?
The Starship rocket is made up of two main components: the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage spacecraft, called Ship.
The Super Heavy booster powers the initial ascent into space, while Ship takes over for the rest of the journey.
Both parts are designed to be reusable, which is a key aspect of SpaceX's plan to make space travel more affordable and reusable.
Recovery plan
Flight 15 will last over 22 hours
After separating from Ship, the Super Heavy booster will turn around and return to the launch site.
There, it will be caught by a pair of giant mechanical arms on the launch tower. This could happen some six and a half minutes after liftoff. SpaceX has caught Super Heavy booster before.
Meanwhile, Ship is expected to reach an altitude of about 275km and orbit Earth some 14 times over a flight lasting more than 22 hours.
Flight path
Starship to fly over India
The extended orbital journey will take Starship over parts of India multiple times, but not immediately after liftoff.
Once in orbit, it will circle Earth as the planet rotates beneath it, bringing its flight path across different regions including India.
At an altitude of some 275km, it will be in low Earth orbit, not flying through the atmosphere like an aircraft.
Notably, SpaceX will attempt the first-ever catch of the upper-stage Ship as part of this flight test.
Mission history
Successful orbital flight in September
The upcoming Flight 15 comes after the successful Flight 14 on September 28, which was Starship's first orbital flight.
It successfully deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, but the booster splashed down in the Gulf of America while Ship returned to the Pacific Ocean.
This time, SpaceX hopes to bring both stages back to Starbase, providing crucial data on whether they can be recovered and reused for future Moon and Mars missions.