TECHNOLOGY

SpaceX recovers Starship from the Indian Ocean a month after launch and is shipping it back to Texas

PUBLISHED Aug 28, 2026, 2:16 PM ET

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SpaceX has begun shipping Starship Ship 40 back to Texas after recovering the vehicle from the Indian Ocean, giving engineers access to the first Starship upper stage to survive a spaceflight and remain intact after splashdown. Ship 40 launched from Starbase on July 24 during Starship’s 13th test flight. After a controlled return, it floated for 24 days before recovery teams towed it to calmer waters near Australia’s Christmas Island. Engineers inspected the 52-meter spacecraft before loading it onto the semi-submersible vessel Forte for the roughly 20,000-kilometer journey to Starbase. SpaceX said the recovery provides valuable data for continued Starship development. NASA is developing a Starship Human Landing System with SpaceX for Artemis missions, while NASA targets the first crewed lunar landing of its revised campaign for 2028. The recovered vehicle remains a test article, and its return does not establish operational readiness or guarantee NASA’s schedule. Further testing remains.

By Sarah Whitman | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On May 21, Flight 12 preparations encountered Starship 3 delays.
On May 22, Flight 12 launched but suffered recovery setbacks.
On June 25, Ship 40 completed its single-engine static fire.
On July 1, Ship 40 completed its six-engine static fire.
On July 16, Flight 13 launch attempt aborted after anomalies.
On July 24, Flight 13 launched successfully from Starbase, Texas.
On July 24, Ship 40 completed controlled Indian Ocean splashdown.
On August 7, Musk said recovery prospects were not promising.
On August 18, recovery teams guided Ship 40 near Christmas.
On August 24, Forte began loading Ship 40 for transport.
On August 27, engineers inspected Ship 40 before final loading.
On August 28, Forte departed Christmas Island carrying Ship 40.
Over coming weeks, engineers will analyze returned hardware for lessons.
Over coming months, Starship testing will incorporate Ship 40 findings.
By 2028, NASA targets crewed lunar landing using commercial landers.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: Engineers gain physical Starship data for development.
Possible long-term US impact: Successful reuse could strengthen America's commercial launch capabilities.
Reader priority: Readers should prioritize primary SpaceX, NASA, FAA, and independent technical reporting.
Most Affected: SpaceX engineers, NASA, Texas workers, aerospace suppliers, Artemis planners.