Flight 15 is getting close.
The latest
SpaceX ran static fires with Ship 42 on Oct 26 and 27: a full-duration, six-engine burn and a single-Raptor burn simulating a deorbit. That follows a 33-engine static fire with Booster 22. Elon Musk says Flight 15 is targeted for November, and SpaceX wants to try catching both the booster and the Ship with the tower’s chopstick arms, pending regulatory approval. Super Heavy has been caught three times, but a Ship catch has never been tried. Flight 14 on Sept 28 reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
My take
A double catch would be a massive step toward full reuse. I’ll be watching.
God Bless, and Use the Source!
