SpaceX was targeting Nov. 13, 2026, for Starship Flight 15, a test flight planned to bring both Starship and Super Heavy back to the launch site for catch. ValleyCentral reported in its Nov. 9 update that regulatory approval remained pending.
ValleyCentral also described a 75-minute launch window. It reported 26 Starlink satellites as the planned payload and described the return trajectory passing over inhabited areas in northern Mexico and southern Texas.
Flight 15 aimed to bring back both stages
The reported recovery plan called for a catch attempt involving the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster. ValleyCentral reported three earlier catches of Super Heavy at the launch site. In Spanish-language commentary published Oct. 30, Mom-P Tech said Starship itself had not yet been caught.
The extra step in Flight 15's recovery plan was the attempt to catch Starship, not just Super Heavy.
Flight 14 had a different recovery plan: Starship was to splash down in the Pacific, while Super Heavy was to fall into the Gulf of Mexico. NeoTeo's coverage of Flight 14 describes its reported orbital insertion and Starlink deployment.
Why the plan used a tower catch
Mom-P Tech's explanation was that landing legs add structural mass the vehicle would have to carry through ascent and reentry. The commentator presented avoiding that onboard structure as a reason for catching the returning vehicles at the launch site with tower arms.
