STARBASE, Texas — SpaceX has recovered the Starship vehicle used during its 13th flight test after the spacecraft spent about 24 days at sea following its launch from Cameron County.
The company said its recovery team guided the vehicle to a location off Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX engineers were traveling to the area to inspect the spacecraft in calmer water before an attempt is made to return it to Starbase.
Flight 13 launched July 24 from SpaceX’s South Texas facility. The mission ended with the ship making a controlled descent into the ocean as planned.
Recovering the vehicle gives engineers an opportunity to examine hardware that experienced launch, atmospheric reentry and an extended period in saltwater. SpaceX had not announced a timeline for transporting the spacecraft back to South Texas.
The recovery is separate from the company’s plans for future Starship tests at Starbase. Any additional launch activity remains subject to technical readiness and applicable federal approvals.
Sources:
KRGV
