SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket from Texas on Friday during a test flight. Shortly after liftoff, the company gave up on recovering the first stage, citing a technical problem.
This flight was of particular importance, as it was the first attempt to catch both stages of the launch vehicle. Recovery of the first stage was one of the mission's objectives, and its abandonment marks a setback for this test, even though the launch itself did take place.
The launch took place from SpaceX's site at Starbase, Texas. The launch complex is the facility where the company develops and tests its space transportation system. A report dated November 13, 2026 presents this complex, whose configuration is central to stage recovery operations.
The company, founded and led by Elon Musk, has not yet detailed the precise nature of the technical problem encountered. The available information also does not indicate whether the second stage was recovered, nor the outcome of the flight after the announcement that first-stage recovery was abandoned.
The Starship project aims to build a fully reusable launch vehicle capable of carrying heavy payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. The ability to catch the stages after their return is one of the pillars of this approach, as it determines cost reduction and launch cadence. Upcoming tests will have to show whether SpaceX manages to resolve the identified problem and achieve these recovery objectives.