{
  "id": 19886468,
  "title": "SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket-19886468",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T21:09:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "SpaceX plans to attempt the first-ever full recovery of a rocket that has been to space during its upcoming test flight on Friday. The company will use mechanical arms, nicknamed chopsticks, to catch both parts of the Starship rocket mid-air as they return to Earth. If successful, this would enable Starship to become reusable, paving the way for frequent flights. NASA will closely monitor the flight as it plays a crucial role in the Artemis program, aiming to land astronauts on the Moon. The lower section of Starship has been successfully recovered three times by the chopsticks at SpaceX's launchpad in Texas. The rocket is scheduled to launch from the Starbase launchpad in Texas at 1645 local time (2245 GMT), with a 75-minute launch window. After six and a half minutes, the first catch attempt will target the Super Heavy booster, followed by the top part of the rocket, called the Ship, which will continue to space and deploy 26 satellites. These satellites will form part of the Starlink constellation, providing high-speed internet from space. The Ship is expected to complete 14 orbits around the Earth before attempting the second catch about 22 and a half hours after takeoff. While SpaceX has previously caught the Super Heavy Booster on three earlier test flights, the upper stage of the rocket has never been grabbed by the chopsticks due to it only reaching orbit for the first time in September. SpaceX plans to decide whether to attempt catching the Ship based on careful assessments made during the flight. A successful double catch would mark a significant milestone in the pursuit of a fully reusable rocket, potentially transforming the economics of accessing space.",
  "summary": "SpaceX will attempt to catch both parts of its huge Starship rocket after it launches on its next test flight on Friday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "SpaceX's Starship megarocket will launch to orbit on Nov. 13. Will you be able to spot it in the night sky?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/spacexs-starship-megarocket-will-launch-to-orbit-on-nov-13-will-you",
        "published": "2026-11-12T20:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Science",
        "title": "SpaceX to attempt double catch of huge Starship rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacex-to-attempt-double-catch-of-huge-starship-rocket",
        "published": "2026-11-13T20:12:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "SpaceX's Starship enters Earth's orbit, but booster catch aborted",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/spacexs-starship-enters-earths-orbit-but-booster-catch-aborted",
        "published": "2026-11-13T23:57:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour Science",
        "title": "SpaceX's Starship soars into orbit after booster malfunction thwarts double catch attempt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/spacexs-starship-soars-into-orbit-after-booster-malfunction-thwarts",
        "published": "2026-11-14T00:20:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}