SpaceX Starship Flight 15 Successfully Reaches Orbit but Fails Booster Catch Attempt

SpaceX's Starship Flight 15 successfully reached orbit on November 13, marking only the second time the upper stage has achieved this milestone. The mission aimed for a 'double-catch' of both rocket stages; however, while the upper stage performed as expected and began deploying 26 Starlink satellites, the Super Heavy booster was diverted to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico and subsequently destroyed. While the failure to catch the booster prevents a complete mission success, the orbital achievement remains a critical step toward SpaceX's long-term goal of full rocket reusability. Currently, the space segment contributes $1.8 billion to SpaceX's $14.6 billion third-quarter revenue. The company is now looking toward a potential catch attempt for the upper stage scheduled for Saturday afternoon, provided all systems remain healthy.

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