Overview
- The test is scheduled for the night of Friday, Nov. 13 at about 23:45 CET, but the mission still needs final FAA approval and could be delayed at short notice.
- SpaceX plans to use tower-mounted robotic arms to catch the booster minutes after liftoff and to recover the upper stage after roughly 14 orbits and about 22 hours in flight.
- The flight will carry 26 Starlink V3 satellites and includes three satellites fitted with cameras to photograph the upper stage heat shield during orbit for return-readiness checks.
- SpaceX has fitted upgraded Raptor-3 engines and redesigned heat-shield tiles — the upper stage heat shield is made of about 20,000 tiles whose adhesion and durability are the primary technical risk for reuse.
- If the dual-stage catch works it would support SpaceX plans for many more launches and lower launch prices and it would affect NASA’s lunar plans, but the effort faces safety, environmental and local‑community scrutiny over flights and recoveries near populated areas.