SpaceX Catches Starship’s Upper Stage for the First Time on Flight 15
By Tech & Money Press · Market news update · November 14, 2026
SpaceX caught the upper stage of its Starship rocket with mechanical arms on the launch tower at Starbase, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 14. It was the first time the company has recovered that stage after a flight to orbit.
The ship returned to the same pad it left on Friday, about 22.5 hours after liftoff, according to SpaceX. It had completed 14 orbits, CNBC and Reuters reported. An attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster on Friday did not succeed.
What happened on Flight 15
Starship lifted off from Starbase at 4:47 p.m. local time, or 5:47 p.m. ET, on Friday, Nov. 13, CNBC reported. It was the 15th Starship test flight, and the first time SpaceX tried to catch both the booster and the upper stage, according to CNBC.
SpaceX said the booster’s boostback burn ended early because of low fuel mass, and that the root cause is under investigation. The booster’s guidance system then triggered an automated abort and sent it to an offshore landing area. SpaceX said the booster completed a landing burn, the engines cut off while it was hovering over the Gulf, and the flight termination system was then triggered. CNBC and the BBC reported that the booster exploded or burst into flames before hitting the water.
The upper stage reached orbit and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX said it made contact with every satellite, and that the satellites are beginning to raise their orbits. After more than 20 hours in space, the ship fired an engine to leave orbit, re-entered the atmosphere and, about 4:20 p.m. ET Saturday, descended into the tower’s arms, according to SpaceX’s timeline and accounts from Space.com and The Verge. SpaceX calls the tower Mechazilla; the arms are often called “chopsticks.”
Reuters, in a dispatch republished by RNZ, said the ship had been flying at an altitude of about 161 miles (260 kilometers) and that three engines ignited to flip the vehicle upright before the arms closed around it.
Why the test matters
Catching the upper stage is a step toward making the whole Starship system reusable. Reuters noted that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which has launched more than 700 times since 2010, already reuses its first stage, but discards the second stage into the ocean after each flight. With Starship, the company is trying to bring both stages back.
Saturday’s result was only part of that goal. SpaceX has previously caught Super Heavy boosters with the tower on three test flights, Reuters and Space.com reported, but it has not yet recovered both stages on a single mission. Reuters also reported that Starship’s heat shield is not yet fully reusable, and that SpaceX is working on tile designs that would need little or no refurbishment after each flight.
In the near term, CNBC said Starship is important to expanding Starlink, which it described as SpaceX’s current profit center. The Starlink constellation already included more than 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, CNBC reported, and the company has said one Starship can carry up to 60 of the newer V3 satellites. CNBC also said SpaceX is expected to use Starship to move astronauts and cargo between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface for NASA.
How the stock stands
SpaceX trades publicly under the ticker SPCX. Shares closed Friday at $139.11, down $0.83, or about 0.6%, according to Webull. About 78.5 million shares changed hands. In Friday after-hours trading, after the booster was diverted, the last quote was $136.25 at 8:00 p.m. ET, about 2.1% below the regular-session close, per Webull. Both prices came before Saturday’s catch, since U.S. markets were closed on the weekend.
For the week, the stock rose about 3.6% from the Nov. 6 close of $134.27. Friday’s close was about 38% below the 52-week high of $225.64, according to Webull. Webull showed a market value of about $1.89 trillion at Friday’s close. On the chart below, which starts in late September, the highest print is $176.42 on Oct. 6, and the lowest is $120.39 on Nov. 5.
SpaceX (SPCX) daily chart. Data: Webull.
What’s Next
- Monday, Nov. 16, is the first regular trading session after the catch.
- SpaceX’s investigation into the booster’s early boostback cutoff is ongoing.
- SpaceX has not announced a date for the next Starship test flight.
Disclaimer: This article is for news and educational purposes only and is not financial advice. It does not predict results or stock moves. Price levels are shown as reference points from past trading, not as recommendations to buy or sell. Tech & Money Press is not a registered investment advisor. Trading stocks involves risk, including the loss of your investment. Do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.
Sources: SpaceX: Starship Flight 15, Nov. 13–14, 2026 (liftoff and return, booster abort and flight termination, 26 Starlink V3 satellites, 22.5-hour flight, first ship catch). CNBC: SpaceX catches upper stage of Starship rocket in historic first, Nov. 14, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET (catch, 14 orbits, attempt to catch both stages, booster explosion, Starlink constellation of more than 11,000 satellites, up to 60 V3 satellites per Starship, Starlink as profit center, NASA lunar use). CNBC: SpaceX launches Starship in key test flight of massive rocket, Nov. 13, 2026 (5:47 p.m. ET liftoff). Reuters via RNZ: SpaceX catches Starship with giant ‘chopstick’ arms, by Joey Roulette, Nov. 14, 2026 ET / Nov. 15, 11:27 a.m. NZ time (14 orbits, more than 22 hours, 161 miles, three-engine flip, Falcon 9 more than 700 launches since 2010, heat shield not yet fully reusable, both stages not yet recovered on one flight). Reuters via Investing.com: SpaceX’s Starship nears end of 15th test flight, Nov. 14, 2026 (pre-catch dispatch: 14 orbits, 22 hours 32 minutes planned, three prior booster catches, Flight 14 in September). AP: SpaceX’s Starship returns from orbit and is captured by launch pad arms, Nov. 14, 2026. Space.com: SpaceX catches Starship upper stage for 1st time, Nov. 14, 2026 (catch about 4:20 p.m. ET). The Verge: Watch SpaceX successfully execute the first ‘chopstick’ catch of Starship, Nov. 14, 2026. BBC: SpaceX successfully catches part of Starship rocket. SPCX daily prices, Friday close, Friday after-hours quote (8:00 p.m. ET), 52-week high and market value: Webull, retrieved the evening of Nov. 14, 2026.
Cover photo: A Super Heavy booster catch on Starship Flight 5, Oct. 13, 2024, not Saturday’s Flight 15 ship catch. Photo: Steve Jurvetson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.