SpaceX Targets Historic Starship Upper Stage Recovery in Upcoming Test Flight
SpaceX is preparing for the 15th test flight of its Starship launch system, tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 13. The mission aims to achieve a historic milestone by attempting to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage (the ship) using the company's launch tower. While the booster has been successfully caught in previous tests, catching the upper stage remains an unproven feat that could pave the way for full orbital system recovery. Financially, SpaceX is heavily investing in this development, with R&D spending in its space segment rising 44% year-over-year to $1.2 billion in the third quarter. Despite these high costs, the space segment's operating loss significantly narrowed to $7 million from a $542 million loss in the previous quarter, driven by an 84% sequential increase in revenue. Successful Starship reuse is expected to drastically reduce launch costs and bolster the capacity of the Starlink satellite constellation.