New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- SpaceX's Starship spacecraft reached orbit and deployed Starlink satellites on its 15th test flight, but the company abandoned a planned catch of its Super Heavy booster, leaving the upper stage's proposed return to Texas as the mission's remaining recovery objective.

47 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, November 13, according to CNN's updated live coverage. That was 4:17 a.m. IST on Saturday, November 14.

Super Heavy catch abandoned

SpaceX diverted the first-stage booster away from the launch tower and toward an offshore splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. AFP reported that a fireball erupted as the booster fell toward the water.

The reason for abandoning the catch had not been fully explained in the reports reviewed. ...