# SpaceX Starship booster explodes in Gulf of Mexico, double tower catch not completed

- Published: 2026-11-15 03:52 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Space
- Tags: SpaceX Starship, Starship booster explosion, double catch, Starbase Texas, Starlink satellites, reusable launch system, Gulf of Mexico, Starship orbit
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-681c0d02432da20a044bfc90_spacex_starship_booster/

**The booster exploded on descent into the Gulf of Mexico, but the ship reached orbit and deployed 26 Starlink satellites, the report says.**

![SpaceX Starship booster explodes in Gulf of Mexico, double tower catch not completed](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/470b5191e507ea82.jpg)
*marca.com*

SpaceX's Starship booster exploded on Friday when it came down in the Gulf of Mexico, so the planned double catch of both stages was not completed, marca.com reports [1]. The booster was meant to return to the launch tower at Starbase, Texas, but went to a sea area instead, where it exploded [1]. The ship still entered orbit and the mission continued [1].

## Double catch missed

The plan was to recover both stages with mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower at Starbase [1]. Without the first stage, one of the main milestones planned for the flight could not be reached, while the rest of the operation went on [1]. The company had not disclosed the cause of the failure [1].

The flight was also the first attempt to catch the upgraded booster, 72 m long, which is to be used for future missions to the Moon and Mars [1]. The ship is another 52 m tall, giving a total stack height of 124 m [1]. SpaceX had performed a catch three times before, but never a double catch [1].

## Ship continues in orbit

Starship reached orbit and deployed 26 of the company's most advanced Starlink satellites [1]. It is then to make 15 orbits of Earth at an altitude of about 275 km before returning to the launch pad [1]. That maneuver was scheduled for Saturday and could extend the flight to as long as 22 hours [1].

For Musk, a double catch would be a major step toward a rapidly reusable launch system needed for his plans for lunar bases and crewed missions to Mars, according to the report [1]. Commentator Kate Tice said during the broadcast: "Well, certainly not the news we were hoping to hear today." [1]

## Sources

1. [marca.com](https://www.marca.com/tiramillas/ciencia/2026/11/14/elon-musk-queda-doble-captura-starship-explosion-propulsor-spacex.html)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-681c0d02432da20a044bfc90_spacex_starship_booster/