Against all odds, SpaceX finally tugs Starship into port after 24 days at sea
Summary
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft completed a test flight and safely landed in the Indian Ocean near Christmas Island. The vehicle was then towed several hundred miles to port, where engineers plan to inspect it before possibly shipping it back to SpaceX’s base in Texas.Key Facts
- Starship landed intact in the Indian Ocean after flying halfway around the world.
- The spacecraft tipped over after splashdown but did not fall apart, which was unexpected.
- SpaceX normally expects the ship to break or burn after landing in water.
- The recovery ship towed Starship engine-first several hundred miles to Christmas Island, an Australian territory.
- SpaceX engineers will analyze the ship in calmer waters before moving it back to Starbase in Texas, more than 10,000 miles away.
- Starship is too big to transport by air, so it must travel by sea.
- The heat shield, made of 18,000 ceramic tiles, protects Starship during reentry and is key to making it reusable.
- SpaceX aims to catch future Starships using mechanical arms for quicker turnaround, but this test ship will not be reused due to saltwater damage.
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