# SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket/
- Published: 2026-11-13T20:12:02+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T21:53:19+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Science (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckregdgnl0xpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Business, Companies, Science, Space, Technology

## Key points

- SpaceX will attempt to catch both Starship stages.
- The Ship has never been caught after reaching orbit.
- Starship is being developed for NASA’s Moon programme.

## Summary

SpaceX plans to try to catch both stages of its Starship rocket during its next test flight, using mechanical arms on the launch tower as the parts return to Earth. Recovering the upper stage as well as the booster would be a first for a rocket that has travelled to space, and could help make Starship reusable, potentially reducing the cost of reaching space.

The 124-metre rocket is scheduled to launch from Texas at 16:45 local time on Friday, with a 75-minute launch window. The booster catch is planned about six and a half minutes after launch; the Ship is due to deploy 26 Starlink satellites, complete 14 orbits and return around 22 and a half hours later, when SpaceX will decide whether to attempt a second catch. The booster has been caught three times before, but the Ship has only splashed down in the ocean. NASA is watching closely because Starship is being developed as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme, whose planned missions depend on progress despite a demanding schedule.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.