SpaceX Super Heavy booster fails tower catch attempt after malfunction
An automatic abort diverted the first stage into the Gulf of Mexico during the Starship Flight 15 mission.
The SpaceX Super Heavy booster malfunctioned during Starship Flight 15, preventing a planned catch at the launch tower, according to India Today.
The booster experienced a malfunction after separating from the Ship upper stage. This triggered an automatic abort that sent the first stage toward the Gulf of Mexico instead of the South Texas launch site.
The vehicle performed an offshore landing, which ended the attempt to catch the booster using the mechanical arms, known as Chopsticks, at the Starbase launch tower. This was the first attempt by a V3 version of the Super Heavy booster to return for a tower catch.
SpaceX has not yet publicly detailed the technical reason for the malfunction or which specific system caused the abort. The company previously demonstrated the recovery of three earlier Super Heavy boosters.
While the booster's recovery attempt ended, the Ship upper stage is continuing its orbital mission. The upper stage is intended to carry 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites and will perform about 14 orbits around Earth.
SpaceX is still aiming to catch the Ship upper stage at the launch site. That recovery attempt is expected to take place at 2:45 am IST on November 15.