SpaceX is towing back the Starship hull stranded in the Indian Ocean

05:24 / 05.08.2026·25·Technology

Aerospace giant SpaceX has launched a major operation to return its Starship spacecraft prototype from the Indian Ocean to shore. Satellite images provided by Vantor showed that this unique process is in full swing, reports ixbt.com. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports reports.

It turned out that during the 13th test flight, the spacecraft unexpectedly remained afloat on the water, and the initial plans did not include salvaging it. However, specialists decided to bring it back for an in-depth analysis of the vehicle that made the softest landing in history.

A historic test and an unexpected outcome

The next test flight of the Starship spacecraft took place on July 25 this year and was recorded as one of the most successful attempts in the program’s history. During the flight, the upper stage fully maintained the operability of all six engines, successfully reentered the atmosphere and landed on the water extremely softly.

The main surprise was that the spacecraft, known as Ship 40, did not sink after landing in the water. It remained watertight and continued drifting approximately 1500 km from the Australian coast. Even the company’s engineers had not expected such an outcome.

How is the recovery operation proceeding?

Soon after the incident, Elon Musk confirmed that the company would try to return the spacecraft to shore. Satellite images from Vantor, published by CNN, now fully confirm that the process is underway.

The following specialized vessels are involved in the operation:

Normand Ranger tugboat
Skimmer Tide vessel
Go Australis support vessel

The images clearly show tow lines attached to Starship’s bow. Go Australis, which was the first vessel to reach the spacecraft, has completed its task and returned to Australia.

Significance for engineers

The return of Ship 40 is of enormous scientific and practical importance to specialists. After atmospheric reentry, the company plans to study the condition of the heat-shield tiles in detail.

The data obtained could bring the program’s next historic milestone closer. According to Elon Musk, if the analysis confirms the strength of the design, SpaceX may attempt to land the upper stage directly on the “Mechazilla” launch tower during one of the upcoming tests.