SpaceX looks to make history with its Starship 15 launch in South Texas

SpaceX SpaceX looks to make history with its Starship 15 launch in South Texas SpaceX says it plans to have both the spacecraft and rocket return to the pad. By Nick Natario Friday, November 13, 2026 7:04PM SpaceX is looking to make history with its Starship 15 launch in South Texas over the weekend. KTRK STARBASE, Texas -- After nearly three years of launching rockets from South Texas, SpaceX is preparing for a launch that could change everything. On Friday afternoon, the launch window for Starship 15 will open at 4:45 p.m. CST. The mission isn't just about what goes up, but what's coming down. SpaceX says it plans to do something it hasn't accomplished before. It plans to launch the rocket and spacecraft, and then have them both return to the pad, instead of the ocean where they would become unusable. It is a flight that has attracted people to South Texas. On Thursday, ABC13 spoke to visitors from other parts of Texas, North Carolina, and Connecticut for the launch, including Randall Folsom. "It's just stunning to me," Folsom said. "I've been watching it for years on TV. To me, being able to launch something that big, that complicated, catch it, that's the holy grail of rocketry, right?" Catching the vehicle is critical because it could mean the system is reusable. Currently, NASA rockets aren't reusable. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told the audience at the X Takeover 2025 event that’s how it goes for rocket launches. “If every time you drove somewhere you had to throw away the car, you'd be 'Wow, that's a crazy car where you have to throw away after every time you drive it.' But that's how it works for rockets,” Musk told the crowd. A reusable rocket, the company says, would greatly reduce the cost of space travel. This afternoon, they're going to see if it's possible. AccuWeather: Feeling like a wet winter day in the Philadelphia region Baby buried alive for 24 hours released from the hospital; father charged SS United States completes final voyage, sinks to Gulf floor to become artificial reef SpaceX will attempt to catch both the booster and ship. However, they say that won't happen at the same time. The company said that about six minutes after launch, they'll attempt to catch the booster. As for the ship, the company is sending it into orbit for nearly 24 hours. Once it's circling the globe, the company says Starship will then deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, adding capacity to SpaceX's orbital communications network. SpaceX says the plan for Saturday is to send the ship back to South Texas, where it hopes to catch it at the pad in Starbase. ABC13's Nick Natario is in South Texas for Friday's launch. He'll have live coverage in the afternoon on ABC13. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics SCIENCE TEXAS SPACEX SPACE ROCKET ROCKET LAUNCH ELON MUSK SpaceX reports 161% revenue increase as Elon Musk hints at a possible merger with Tesla Musk pledges a share of his SpaceX company to 'every kid in America' 4 astronauts return to Earth after 8 months in space Astronauts arrive at International Space Station on the quickest US express flight yet Watch Live ON NOW AccuWeather: Feeling like a wet winter day in the Philadelphia region Baby buried alive for 24 hours released from the hospital; father charged SS United States completes final voyage, sinks to Gulf floor to become artificial reef Tacony-Palmyra Bridge back open after reported cargo ship strike 5 people shot in DC, including 1 killed at a gym, before suspect kills himself 2 hours ago