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SpaceX tows intact Starship Ship 40 after 24-day drift

8/20/2026

Summary

SpaceX Guides Splashdown

SpaceX guided the intact Starship upper stage Ship 40 to waters off Christmas Island after 24 days at sea.
Ship 40 performed Starship’s first intact ocean splashdown on July 24, 2026 following Flight 13 launch from Texas.
The 52-meter spacecraft stayed afloat while transmitting data throughout its 24-day ocean drift.
Engineers will analyze Ship 40 in calmer waters before attempting its return to Starbase Texas.

Summary

Starship Towed

Locals on Christmas Island gathered along the coast to watch the 52-metre Starship being towed.
Australian Space Agency enforced an exclusion zone to keep recreational vessels away from the drifting rocket.
Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist, warned that intact rocket stages can still pose toxic fuel or explosion hazards.
Curtin University researchers said the recovery serves as a test case for reusing upper rocket stages in future missions.

History

Historical Context

On May 5 1961 NASA launched Alan Shepard aboard Freedom 7, the United States’ first manned sub-orbital flight, a 15-minute mission that reached 101 nautical miles and splashed down in the Atlantic, demonstrating early re-entry and recovery techniques. Today SpaceX’s 52-meter Starship upper stage drifted 24 days off Christmas Island, prompting the Australian Space Agency to enforce a safety exclusion zone and highlighting ongoing reusability challenges.

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SpaceX Guides Splashdown

SpaceX guided the intact Starship upper stage Ship 40 to waters off Christmas Island after 24 days at sea.
Ship 40 performed Starship’s first intact ocean splashdown on July 24, 2026 following Flight 13 launch from Texas.
The 52-meter spacecraft stayed afloat while transmitting data throughout its 24-day ocean drift.
Engineers will analyze Ship 40 in calmer waters before attempting its return to Starbase Texas.

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