--- title: "SpaceX to Launch Starship on Friday with Attempted Upper Stage Landing" url: https://noti.group/spacex-to-launch-starship-on-friday-with-attempted-upper-stage-landing/ language: en publisher: "Noti Group" section: "Technology" published: 2026-11-13T12:00:40.000Z updated: 2026-11-14T11:46:35.695Z id: df5644d3-8326-4f6e-8bc4-747f72c9d2a3 source: "Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/11/rocket-report-starship-set-for-historic-test-flight-a-century-of-electron/" attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/spacex-to-launch-starship-on-friday-with-attempted-upper-stage-landing/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story." --- # SpaceX to Launch Starship on Friday with Attempted Upper Stage Landing SpaceX is set to launch its Starship spacecraft this weekend, marking a significant milestone in reusable rocket technology. A historic test flight is set for this weekend as SpaceX prepares to launch a Starship on Friday and attempt an upper stage landing 22.5 hours later. The mission marks a significant milestone in the development of reusable rockets, with SpaceX aiming to recover all components of the vehicle, a feat that has never been achieved before. The Starship launch will take place from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, where Ars Technica reporters will be on hand to provide live coverage and analysis of the mission. This weekend's events represent a crucial test for the Starship program, which is being developed with private funding and aims to reduce the cost of accessing space through reusable technology. Meanwhile, Rocket Lab is preparing to launch its 100th Electron vehicle, marking a major milestone for the small rocket that first took flight in 2017. The production capacity required for Ariane 6 has become a pressing concern for both Vega C and Vega E, raising questions about the future of these vehicles. The Ariane 64 launch requires a substantial amount of solid rocket boosters, equivalent to an entire year's worth of production at Vega C's baseline annual launch cadence of four flights. This reality makes it increasingly difficult to justify continued investment in expanding Vega C's launch capacity and introducing Vega E. Synspective, a Japanese company providing synthetic aperture radar satellite data and solutions, has announced a multi-launch agreement with Firefly Aerospace for up to 10 launches on the Alpha rocket through 2030. Under this agreement, Synspective will deploy two of its SAR satellites per mission, reaching a total of up to 20 satellites. Firefly's Alpha rocket offers a unique capability to launch 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit, making it an attractive option for customers seeking direct access to space. The ability to respond quickly and efficiently is crucial for Synspective's operations, and the Alpha rocket's payload capacity and responsiveness make it a natural fit. The agreement between Firefly and Synspective also highlights the growing confidence in the Alpha Block II vehicle. As Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, noted, "This landmark agreement reflects growing customer confidence in our Alpha Block II vehicle." The partnership will enable Synspective to quickly deploy its SAR satellites, getting its operations up and running sooner. Stoke Space has also announced a multi-launch agreement with Planet Labs PBC. While the terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, including the total number of launches under contract and the cost of the launches, it marks another significant partnership in the space industry. Will Marshall, Co-Founder & CEO of Planet, emphasized the need for launch partners that can keep pace with their company's rapid development. The success of these agreements underscores the growing demand for reliable and efficient launch services. As the space industry continues to evolve, companies like Firefly Aerospace and Stoke Space are well-positioned to meet this demand. Their partnerships with customers like Synspective and Planet Labs PBC demonstrate a commitment to providing responsive and capable launch solutions. These developments come as Rocket Lab prepares to mark a major milestone, its 100th Electron vehicle launch. The small rocket, which first took flight in 2017, has established itself as a reliable workhorse in the space industry. The steady demand from operators like Planet has created a lucrative market for commercial launch companies, with many of them seeking to expand their fleets through regular launches. This demand is being met by a new generation of medium-lift rockets, including Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket, which is rapidly gaining popularity among customers. Rocket Lab has recently increased the price of its Neutron rocket from $55 million to $70 million due to strong customer demand and a constrained market for launch, according to a report by Payload. Despite the price hike, new bookings continue to pour in for the Neutron rocket, with customers showing no signs of being deterred by the higher cost. The success of Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket is not surprising given its capabilities, with CEO Peter Beck describing it as "the backbone of next-generation constellation deployment and government missions". In a statement, Beck said that strong international demand and a growing launch manifest at the new price point were proof that Neutron was the launch vehicle the market had been waiting for. The Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital has taken notice of Rocket Lab's success, announcing a $150 million loan to support the company's efforts to increase the flight rate of its Neutron rocket. This move is part of a broader effort by the US military to prop up commercial launch companies as SpaceX winds down its Falcon rocket program. AST SpaceMobile's founder and CEO Abel Avellan outlined his vision for developing a large rocket capable of launching multiple Bluebird satellites into orbit during an hour-long event on Thursday. Avellan emphasized that AST plans to build a "simple rocket, one that can be easily understood by anyone. He repeatedly referenced SpaceX founder Elon Musk, paraphrasing him as saying the best part is no part, which Avellan interpreted to mean that complexity should be minimized in rocket design. The Blacklift rocket, set to launch from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, will have a lift capacity of 20 metric tons and be reusable. It will be tailored specifically for lifting five Bluebird satellites into low-Earth orbit at a time. Avellan's comments about the simplicity of the rocket drew some skepticism, with one observer noting that Rockets are not hard. The term was likely meant as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the relative complexity of rocket design compared to Avellan's vision for a simplified approach. In an effort to clarify his stance, Avellan explained that the Blacklift rocket can be thought of as a large tank feeding engines. He noted that building big tanks is not a difficult task and that composite materials are well understood by engineers. The Blacklift rocket will launch twice a month from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, which previously hosted the Antares rocket. The facility's pad will now serve as the home base for the Blacklift rocket. Firefly CEO Kim spoke about his company's ongoing work to develop the Eclipse rocket during an earnings call this week. He emphasized that Firefly is heads down" on the project and has been conducting hot fires of the Miranda engine, with over 175 tests completed so far. Kim expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Miranda engine, describing it as a very mature design. However, when pressed about potential launch dates for Eclipse, Kim did not provide a direct answer, instead focusing on the company's progress toward qualifying its components and systems. The upcoming Starship test flight is now scheduled for Friday, November 13, pending regulatory approval. This launch marks a significant milestone in SpaceX's development of reusable rockets, as it will attempt to recover both the Starship and its Super Heavy booster after completing a historic mission. With a 75-minute launch window opening at 4:45 p.m. CT (22:45 UTC), the crew is preparing for a complex series of maneuvers that will test the capabilities of this revolutionary new system. The flight plan calls for Starship to reach an altitude of approximately 275 km and complete over 14 orbits around the Earth during its more than 22-hour journey, culminating in the deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit. However, this mission is not just about reaching space; it's also a critical test of the recovery process. The booster and upper stage Starship will attempt to land back at the launch site on Saturday, marking the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. The shift in focus for SpaceX from rocket development to infrastructure building has been underway for several years, with the introduction of its satellite constellation, Starlink, being a major catalyst for this change. At last week's UP.Summit conference in Florida, Kiko Dontchev, vice president of launch at SpaceX, highlighted the company's evolving priorities, stating that it is now an infrastructure company focused on building systems and tools to accelerate innovation. This transformation is driven by the recognition that artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in achieving the ambitious goals set out by the company, including human settlement of Mars. The launch schedule for this week is packed with activity from various space agencies and private companies. On November 13, a Vulcan rocket, designated Amazon Leo LV-01, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 17:54 UTC. A historic test flight of the Starship spacecraft is also set to take place on November 13 from Starbase in Texas at 22:45 UTC. The Soyuz 2.1b rocket will carry a payload including the MKA Kinosputnik satellite, among others, into orbit from Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia at 00:50 UTC on November 14. This week's launches demonstrate the increasing pace of space exploration and development of new technologies. As companies push to achieve their ambitious goals, such as human settlement of Mars, they must also navigate complex logistical challenges. --- Source: [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/11/rocket-report-starship-set-for-historic-test-flight-a-century-of-electron/) Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/spacex-to-launch-starship-on-friday-with-attempted-upper-stage-landing/