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Starship Lands Intact in Ocean: SpaceX Recovers Rocket
29 Jul
Summary
- Starship's upper stage successfully landed intact in the Indian Ocean.
- This marks the first time a Starship upper stage survived flight tests.
- SpaceX is actively working on recovering the 171-foot vehicle from the sea.
SpaceX's Starship rocket achieved a significant milestone on July 24, 2026, when its upper stage successfully landed intact in the Indian Ocean. This event marks the first time an upper stage of the massive rocket has survived a flight test without exploding.
Previously, Starship upper stages had either been lost mid-flight or disintegrated upon landing in the ocean. The successful controlled splashdown represents a dream scenario for SpaceX, as confirmed by their spokesman during the livestream.
Following the landing, Elon Musk confirmed that recovery teams are actively working to retrieve the 171-foot vehicle from the sea. This successful recovery and landing are crucial steps towards SpaceX's ambitious goals of developing Starship for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
