Starship's toughest launch on November 14: Musk's spacecraft to fly over India

SpaceX’s megarocket Starship is set to pass over parts of India multiple times during its upcoming test flight, potentially giving skywatchers across the country a rare opportunity to spot the giant vehicle as it circles Earth.Starship's 15th test flight, called Starship Flight 15, is targeted for a launch window opening early on November 14 in IST, from the company’s Starbase site in Texas, US.The spacecraft is expected to spend more than 22 hours in space, completing about 14 orbits before attempting a return to Earth.Ground path for Flight 15 https://t.co/vM09ivOaG4 https://t.co/6sabR8skTG— Notices for Space (@NotamUpdates) November 9, 2026A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SPACECRAFT RECOVERY ATTEMPTStarship is SpaceX’s tallest and most powerful rocket system, designed to carry people and cargo into space, to the Moon and eventually Mars. It consists of two stages; the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, and both are designed to be reusable. What makes this mission different from its predecessors is the plan to catch both stages using the giant mechanical arms, nicknamed chopsticks, on the launch tower.The booster is expected to return just minutes after liftoff. SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase. (Photo: AP) The upper stage, after deploying 26 Starlink V3 internet satellites and spending nearly a full day in orbit, will attempt to fly back and be caught in the same way.SpaceX has caught Super Heavy boosters on earlier flights, but has never caught the Starship upper stage.A successful recovery would therefore mark a major milestone in the company’s effort to make its entire orbital rocket system reusable.The booster has already been moved to the launch pad following successful engine tests. Both the booster and spacecraft have also completed their respective static-fire tests. The Super Heavy v3 Booster 22 rolls out of the production facility towards the launch pad for its 15th test flight. (Photo: Reuters) The mission remains subject to final regulatory clearance, with a backup launch opportunity planned for the following day.WHY THE LAUNCH COULD REDEFINE SPACE TRAVELSpaceX believes recovering both stages could make space travel cheaper and more frequent.Bringing the vehicles back intact would allow the company to inspect, refuel and launch them again instead of building replacements for every mission.The upper-stage catch will only proceed if flight controllers confirm that the spacecraft is healthy and conditions are safe.The close-up catching/landing shot of the super heavy booster shimmying along the chopsticks was pretty nice ! #Starship https://t.co/uFQDzXuvi0— DutchSpace (@DutchSpace) October 13, 2024If not, Starship has designated ocean splashdown options.These include a contingency re-entry over a cleared area of the Indian Ocean if the mission does not proceed to orbital insertion.Live coverage is expected to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and may continue through the spacecraft’s return.For space enthusiasts in India, the early morning launch and the prospect of repeated overhead passes could make this an especially interesting test flight to follow.- Ends