SpaceX Super Heavy is moving toward a catch attempt for both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship vehicle on Flight 15 next month. Elon Musk, SpaceX chief executive, detailed the plan for catching both parts during that flight.
The attempt puts the booster and ship into the same recovery test. SpaceX and anyone tracking Starship development are watching whether the company can complete both catches in one mission, a step the source describes as a significant technological milestone.
Elon Musk and Flight 15
Musk outlined the plan publicly, giving the clearest account so far of what SpaceX wants to do on Flight 15. The target is not a single recovery but two separate catches, one for the booster and one for the vehicle itself.
That sequence matters because the mission is being framed around a narrow technical goal rather than a broad launch objective. SpaceX is preparing for the attempt next month, which leaves the flight as the near-term test of whether the company can turn the idea into an operational recovery.
SpaceX recovery plan
The source does not provide the technical steps for how the catch would work. It does show that SpaceX is treating the booster and ship as linked parts of the same recovery plan, with both catches tied to Flight 15 rather than separate test runs.
For readers following the program, the practical takeaway is straightforward: the next flight is set up as a milestone attempt, not just another launch. If SpaceX reaches the catch on both pieces, it would mark a new level of recovery work for the system Musk described.
Flight 15 next month
The open question is whether SpaceX and Elon Musk can carry out both catches on Flight 15. Next month’s attempt is the point at which the plan either becomes a demonstrated recovery sequence or remains a goal on paper.
