Starship Upper Stage Recovered from Indian Ocean
SpaceX has loaded the upper stage of the Starship Flight 13 onto a ship in the Indian Ocean. The recovery took place more than a month after the vehicle splashed down during the test flight.
After being taken aboard the recovery vessel, the stage is now underway by sea toward Texas. There it will be inspected and possibly prepared for future flights.
This retrieval is part of SpaceX’s strategy to increase the reusability of its launch vehicles. Returning the hardware to the main facility allows engineers to gather data and implement any necessary design improvements.
Flight 13 primarily aimed to evaluate the re‑entry behavior and landing capability of the upper stage under real‑world conditions. The data gathered from this flight are vital for the ongoing development of the Starship system.
Ocean recovery operations require specialized ships equipped with cranes and stabilization systems to safely bring large spaceflight components on board. SpaceX has been using dedicated support vessels for several years, positioning them near the anticipated splashdown zones.
SpaceX has not released detailed public information about the condition of the recovered stage. Further statements regarding possible damage or plans for reuse are still pending.