SpaceX Aims for Historic Starship Tower Catch by Spring 2026 After Flawless Flight 11

SpaceX is setting its sights on a groundbreaking milestone: catching the Starship upper stage with its launch tower. Following the resounding success of Starship's eleventh flight test, which achieved all mission objectives, CEO Elon Musk announced the ambitious target of a tower catch attempt as early as spring 2026. This move is poised to significantly accelerate Starship's reusability and operational efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• SpaceX plans to attempt catching the Starship upper stage with its launch tower by spring 2026.

• Starship Flight 11 successfully completed all mission objectives, marking the end of the V2 Starship and first-gen Super Heavy booster era.

• The next generation of Starship, V3, is being developed with enhanced capabilities, potentially including Mars missions.

Flight 11: A Resounding Success

Starship's eleventh flight test, launched from Starbase, Texas, marked a significant achievement, fulfilling every primary mission goal. The Super Heavy booster executed a flawless ascent, hover, and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Concurrently, the Starship upper stage performed an orbital burn, deployed Starlink simulators, and completed a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean.

This mission officially concluded the chapter for the second-generation Starship and the first-generation Super Heavy booster. It paves the way for redesigned vehicles optimized for orbital payload missions, propellant transfer, and future interplanetary endeavors. Elon Musk has indicated that the upcoming Starship V3 could potentially be capable of reaching Mars.

The Tower Catch Ambition

Following the success of Flight 11, Elon Musk confirmed on X that SpaceX intends to attempt catching the Starship upper stage using the launch tower's arms, colloquially known as "chopsticks." This ambitious maneuver is slated for spring 2026. The ability to routinely catch both the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster is crucial for SpaceX's goal of achieving a launch cadence comparable to conventional aircraft, maximizing the reusability of the Starship system.