SpaceX plans to attempt catching both Starship stages on its upcoming fifteenth test flight in November.

SpaceX will attempt to catch both the Super Heavy first stage and the Starship upper stage using its launch tower during the upcoming 15th test flight of the massive rocket. Company officials announced the milestone during a Tuesday earnings call, targeting November for the next launch at Starbase in South Texas.

Founder Elon Musk stated that success for both catches is more likely than not, though the company remains hardware rich if failures occur. Achieving a return to the launch site requires regulatory approval. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, reported constructive engagement with the Federal Aviation Administration and expects the Flight 15 license to cover tower catches for both stages.

Following the November flight, SpaceX plans to attempt reflying a Starship upper stage and executing a long-delayed orbital refueling test early next year. Starship-to-Starship refueling is a critical milestone for NASA's Artemis program, requiring data on fluid transfer efficiency and cryogenic boil-off rates to validate lunar landing logistics.

Looking ahead, Musk projected that Starship could reach a weekly flight cadence in the first half of 2027 and launch twice weekly in the second half.

Shotwell added that next year's payloads will focus heavily on internal missions, including