SpaceX ships its recovered Starship back to Texas for inspection
Starship lifted off from Starbase on 24 July, flew for about an hour and came down intact off Christmas Island; it is the first Starship to survive a full flight in one piece. Recovery took a month, and the company puts the return trip at several months more. SpaceX thanked its recovery team for working through difficult conditions so engineers could reach the vehicle and its data; Starship is the lander NASA has contracted for its Artemis Moon missions.
Science··Evening
Recovered from the ocean a month after flight 13
The vehicle launched from Starbase in Texas on 24 July, flew for about an hour and came down intact, floating off Christmas Island. Phys.org reports that it is the first Starship to survive a full flight in one piece. Recovery took a month. ClickOrlando says the upper stage was pulled from the water off Christmas Island. SpaceX has begun shipping it back to Texas. The company says the recovery team worked through difficult conditions so engineers could reach the vehicle and its data. Engineers inspected the vehicle off Christmas Island. Phys.org reports that it landed intact and that the company counts the recovery as a milestone for its reusability goal.[1], [2]
Engineers are shipping the vehicle to Texas for inspection
ClickOrlando reports that the vehicle is being shipped back to Texas for inspection on a voyage expected to take months. Phys.org also puts the return trip at several months more. SpaceX thanked its recovery team for working through difficult conditions to give engineers access to the vehicle and its data. The company counts the recovery of what it bills as the world's biggest and most powerful rocket as a milestone for its reusability goal. ClickOrlando writes that after an initial inspection off Christmas Island the vehicle is being moved to Starbase. Phys.org stresses that it is the first Starship to survive a full flight in one piece and that engineers reached the vehicle and its data.[2], [1]
Starship is NASA's contracted Artemis lander
Phys.org notes that Starship is the lander NASA has contracted for its Artemis Moon missions. ClickOrlando reports that the company bills the vehicle as the world's biggest and most powerful rocket. SpaceX aims to open the recovered vehicle's data to engineer review. The recovery team's work in difficult conditions gave engineers access to the vehicle and its data, which the company highlighted in its thanks. Phys.org writes that the recovery is a concrete step toward full reusability. ClickOrlando reports that the move to Texas will take months and that inspection will continue at Starbase.[1], [2]
