World News Update: SpaceX launches Starship Flight 15 from Starbase, Texas, and the ship reaches orbit; FAA halts flights nationwide

Launch: Starship Flight 15 / Starlink Group 31-2 (after liftoff)

Rocket

SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy, V3 (Starship Flight 15 / Starlink Group 31-2)

Launch site

Orbital Launch Pad 2, Starbase, Texas

Time (CT)

Liftoff at 4:47 p.m. CT Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 (Launch Library 2 T-0 22:47:36 UTC; SpaceX posted "Liftoff of Starship!" on X at 4:48 p.m. CT). Booster splashdown at about 4:55 p.m. CT (time of SpaceX's post on X). Orbit insertion at about 5:16 p.m. CT (time of SpaceX's post).

Result

Launch successful; booster not recovered. SpaceX said on X that "Super Heavy has diverted to an offshore splashdown in the Gulf" instead of returning to Starbase for a catch. Launch Library 2 records that Booster 22 did not attempt a return to the launch site and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico because of an abort triggered before the landing burn. SpaceX then said Starship completed its ascent burn and performed an orbital insertion burn, entering Earth orbit.

Cargo

26 Starlink Version 3 satellites (Starlink Group 31-2), per SpaceX.

Booster

Super Heavy Booster 22 (Launch Library 2). Planned tower catch was aborted; it splashed down offshore in the Gulf.

Our view Another step toward Mars: Starship reaching orbit again shows the giant rocket that SpaceX plans to use to carry people to Mars is flying more reliably, even though the booster catch will have to wait for another flight.

SpaceX says the ship is planned to fly about 275 km above Earth for roughly 14 orbits over more than 22 hours, and will only try to return to Starbase for a catch if flight controllers confirm its systems are healthy. Space.com reported that the ship's return is planned for Saturday afternoon.

Earlier: the before-liftoff update

World news this afternoon

• FAA halts departures at every U.S. airport after an air traffic communications outage The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," holding all departures while flights in the air were allowed to land. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communications issue affected all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said investigators were "not ruling out anything," the Washington Examiner and New York Post reported. AP said it is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023. An FAA spokesperson told CNBC the Starship launch license was not affected. (Washington Examiner, New York Post, AP)
• Supreme Court agrees to decide whether Trump can suspend asylum at the southern border The Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear the challenge to President Trump's Jan. 20, 2025, proclamation on the southern border and the DHS guidance barring migrants from applying for asylum, SCOTUSblog and the Washington Examiner reported. The restrictions remain in place while the appeal goes forward. (SCOTUSblog, Washington Examiner)
• Gulf states tell the UN Iran has fired more than 7,000 missiles and drones at them Gulf states told the UN Security Council on Friday that Iran has launched more than 7,000 missiles and drones at their territories since the war began in February, Iran International reported, while the U.S. military said it shot down two Iranian attack drones headed for Bahrain and denied Iran's claim that it destroyed a U.S. radar there, Reuters reported via Al Jazeera. (Iran International, Al Jazeera (Reuters))

Earlier: the before-liftoff update

The full 5 PM Evening Brief