• Historic Intact Splashdown: Ship 40 became the first Starship upper stage to survive an ocean landing intact following its Flight 13 launch on July 24.
• Successful 24-Day Ocean Tow: SpaceX recovery vessels guided the 171-foot spacecraft across challenging Indian Ocean seas to calm waters off Christmas Island.
• Invaluable Engineering Data: Direct examination of the recovered vehicle provides rare post-flight data regarding heat tile performance, hydraulics, and reentry stress.
• Progress Toward Full Reusability: The insights support development for Flight 14 and advance mission readiness for NASA Artemis lunar landings

SpaceX has achieved a remarkable maritime and aerospace milestone after its Starship upper stage, known as Ship 40, safely reached the waters off Christmas Island following an extraordinary 24-day ocean towing operation. Launched on July 24 during Starship’s Flight 13 test mission from Starbase in South Texas, the Version 3 spacecraft completed the vehicle’s first-ever fully intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Rather than disintegrating upon water impact like prior test prototypes, the towering 171-foot stainless steel craft remained structurally sound, giving recovery crews an unprecedented opportunity to preserve and study the hardware.

Guiding the massive spacecraft across hundreds of miles of open ocean presented significant logistical challenges, as crews navigated through heavy swells and unpredictable seas. Despite the demanding conditions, the SpaceX marine recovery team successfully guided the intact vehicle into the sheltered, calm waters off the Australian territory of Christmas Island. A specialized team of SpaceX engineers is conducting on-site inspections of the hull, Raptor engines, and thermal protection system before arranging transport back to Starbase.

This successful recovery yields invaluable engineering data on heat shield durability, aerodynamic performance, and structural integrity following spaceflight and orbital atmospheric reentry. The real-world insights gained from inspecting Ship 40 will directly inform future iterations as SpaceX prepares for Flight 14, where the company plans to catch a returning upper stage at the launch tower using the Mechazilla mechanical arms. By recovering its first intact orbital stage, SpaceX moves one step closer toward full, rapid rocket reusability and supporting upcoming lunar missions under NASA’s Artemis program.