SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) is preparing to attempt a historic milestone by catching the returning Starship upper stage with its launch tower for the first time.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed the plan during the company’s August 4 earnings call, its first since SpaceX went public in June.
“I’d say things look very good, and that’s why we, assuming we receive regulatory approval to do so, will attempt to catch the Ship with the tower on the next flight, which is tentatively scheduled for the end of this month,” Musk said.
The announcement follows the successful Flight 13 mission, which flew on July 24 and ended with the Ship surviving reentry and splashing down softly in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX’s launch towers have previously caught the returning Super Heavy booster, but the Ship has never been caught, as it returns from space at far higher speeds.
Flight 14 carries additional significance beyond the catch attempt, as it is also slated to deliver the first Starlink V3 satellites into an operational working orbit.
Two critical steps remain before the attempt can proceed, including preflight engine firings for both vehicles and the regulatory approval Musk specifically cited as a requirement.
Reusability sits at the core of Starship’s entire economic argument, with both halves of the rocket needing to fly again quickly rather than be rebuilt from scratch each time.
A tower catch represents the most efficient form of reuse, allowing the vehicle to land where it launched, be inspected, and be restacked without any ocean recovery operations in between.
SpaceX’s financial picture is increasingly anchored by its Starlink connectivity segment, which grew revenue 66% year over year to $4.3 billion last quarter, making it the only segment currently operating at a profit.
The company overall narrowed its net loss to $541 million from $1.0 billion, on revenue that nearly doubled to $7.8 billion, reflecting the significant scale-up of its operations.
SpaceX closed the quarter with $100 billion of cash and marketable securities and a $47.5 billion backlog, funds it says are being directed toward Starship, Starlink satellites, and its artificial intelligence platform.
The V3 satellites that Flight 14 would carry represent the larger generation that the Starlink network’s next major capacity expansion depends upon.
The flight date remains tentative and could slip into September, with the regulatory review process operating entirely outside SpaceX’s direct control.
With SPCX stock trading around $141 and the company valued near $1.9 trillion, the reusability case is carrying significant weight in that market valuation.
