SpaceX · India · South Korea · Ars Technica
Against all odds, SpaceX finally tugs Starship into port after 24 days at sea
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SpaceX’s most recent Starship test flight may have ended July 24, but its mission isn’t over yet.
Key facts
- Starship, more than 170 feet (52 meters) long and 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter, is too large to fit into any aircraft in one piece
- Engineers have reams of data from all 13 test flights of Starship and its giant booster rocket, known as the Super Heavy
- SpaceX hasn’t said how exactly it might get the spacecraft back to Starbase, the company’s Starship development site and launch base in South Texas, more than 10,000 miles from Christmas Island
- SpaceX’s most recent Starship test flight may have ended July 24, but its mission isn’t
Summary
The spacecraft splashed down in the Indian Ocean intact after flying halfway around the world from SpaceX’s launch base in South Texas. Numerous onboard sensors and cameras, along with buoys and drones in position at the splashdown zone, have provided important data for SpaceX to assess the performance of the ship’s heat shield after each test flight, so officials accepted the post-flight conflagrations. Engineers have reams of data from all 13 test flights of Starship and its giant booster rocket, known as the Super Heavy. So, getting Starship back in one piece is a boon.