SpaceX Starship reaches orbit after booster explosion prevents double catch

SpaceX launched its largest rocket into orbit on Friday, November 13, 2026, though a booster explosion dashed hopes of completing a historic double-catch maneuver.

According to Associated Press reporting, the ambitious flight plan hit an early snag when the first-stage booster was diverted away from its planned return trajectory toward the Texas launch pad. Instead of heading back to Starbase, the booster fell into the Gulf of Mexico and exploded. The setback prevented Elon Musk's aerospace company from achieving an unprecedented dual recovery of both rocket stages in a single flight.

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Despite the booster's destruction, the upper-stage spacecraft pushed through and successfully reached orbit. Shortly after achieving orbital insertion, the vehicle deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites. The mission marks the boldest test yet for the massive launch system, following a previous flight in September that reached orbit without attempting any stage recovery.

The entire flight stack stands at a staggering height, combining a massive booster with a towering upper-stage spacecraft. Previous test flights met various ends, with earlier iterations of the spacecraft component routinely terminating in the ocean either intentionally or through accidental breakups. In contrast, the company had successfully executed three prior booster catches at its launch facility near the United States-Mexico border, making Friday's sudden anomaly unexpected.

"Well, that certainly isn’t the news that we had hoped to hear for today."

Kate Tice, SpaceX launch commentator, via Associated Press

Tice added that the diversion aligned with rigorous safety protocols designed to protect the launch pad, though no specific technical explanation for the booster failure was provided during the broadcast.

The overarching ambition of the program is to achieve complete, rapid reusability across all rocket components. Musk maintains that full reusability is essential for establishing permanent lunar bases and transporting human crews to Mars.

Broader corporate and operational plans extend far beyond current Texas tests. Speaking at a technology summit hosted at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX Vice President of Launch Kiko Dontchev outlined plans to expand launch operations to additional coastal sites over the coming years, including Florida within a few months and Louisiana in a few years. Scaled infrastructure paired with complete vehicle reusability forms the backbone of the company's long-term scaling strategy.

While smaller Falcon rockets currently handle routine satellite deployment and crew transport to the International Space Station for NASA, Musk intends for the larger vehicle to eventually replace them entirely. Dontchev noted that while Falcon rockets still discard their second stages on every flight, the newer system is designed to catch both stages.

NASA has invested billions of dollars into the heavy-lift program to land Artemis astronauts on the lunar surface. The space agency faces an upcoming decision regarding whether to utilize Musk's vehicle or a competing lunar lander developed by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin for the Artemis IV landing. Ahead of those decisions, astronauts are scheduled during next summer's Artemis III mission to practice orbital docking maneuvers with both lander options in Earth orbit, paving the way for a crewed moon landing targeted for later in the decade.

Following Friday's orbital insertion, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed enthusiasm for potential technological integration.

"We are looking forward to some of that on-orbit Starlink capability on Artemis III."

Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator, via X

What to Watch Next

• The upper-stage spacecraft is scheduled to complete approximately 15 orbits around Earth at an altitude of roughly 170 miles (275 kilometers).
• Subject to ongoing safety checks and favorable conditions, the spacecraft will steer back toward the launch site on Saturday, November 14, 2026, for an attempted midair mechanical catch by the launch tower arms.
• The total duration of the ongoing test flight is projected to last up to 22 hours.
• NASA anticipates further evaluation milestones ahead of the upcoming Artemis missions and subsequent lunar landing architecture decisions.