SpaceX Starlink Group 31-2 (Starship Flight 15) Starship

About the Starlink Group 31-2 (Starship Flight 15) Mission

15th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle and 4th flight of Starship V3. Second Starship flight to deploy satellites (a group of Starlink satellites known as Starlink Group 31-2) into stable Low Earth Orbit and first ever to attempt returning the Starship 2nd stage back to the launch site.

The ship is expected to fly at an altitude approximately 275 km above Earth and complete approximately 14 orbits around the planet for more than 22 hours, with the ship expected to attempt returning back to Starbase, Texas on its launch pad by pad arms catching.

The booster’s primary test objective on Flight 15 will be executing a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and landing by pad arms catching. This will also be the 1st Starship V3 booster to attempt returning to its launch site.

Starship will deliver 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit for the second time, which aim to greatly expand the network's capacity and user speeds. Each Starlink V3 satellite will add 1 Tbps of capacity to the constellation. 3 of the satellites have been modified with a suite of cameras to scan Starship’s heatshield and transmit imagery down to operators.

This launch is part of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation, a global broadband network designed to provide high-speed internet coverage worldwide. The Starlink mega-constellation uses thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to deliver reliable internet connectivity to underserved and remote areas across the globe.

Learn about SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation (opens in a new tab)

This mission will be launched aboard SpaceX's Starship, the world's most powerful rocket and the first fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Starship is designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond, representing a revolutionary advancement in space transportation technology with its unprecedented payload capacity and complete reusability.

Explore SpaceX Starship development and flight history (opens in a new tab)

Launch Pad & Location

Orbital Launch Pad 2

SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

Starbase is an industrial complex for Starship rockets and the headquarters of the American aerospace manufacturer company SpaceX. Located near Brownsville, Texas, United States, it has been under construction since the late 2010s by SpaceX. Starbase is composed of a spaceport near the Gulf of Mexico, a production facility at the Boca Chica village, and a small structure test site along the Texas State Highway 4.

Find the best place to watch the launch from Texas

Core Booster 22

Fourth Block 3 Super Heavy booster to fly with various enhancements including Raptor 3 engines, integrated interstage and 3 grid fins instead of 4 used. To be used on the 15th Starship flight test, the 2nd Starship flight to deploy satellites into stable Low Earth Orbit. It is the first Starship V3 booster to attempt landing back on its launch pad. The Super Heavy Booster 22 will attempt to return the launch site at Starbase.

Orbital Launch Mount B - OLM-B

Return to Launch Site - RTLS

A return to launch site usually means that after stage separation the booster flips and does a burn back towards the launch site, landing near where it initially launched from.

A sonic boom may occur during booster recovery as the first stage returns to the landing zone. This atmospheric phenomenon creates a loud sound as the rocket breaks the sound barrier during its descent.

Understand rocket booster landing sonic booms (opens in a new tab)