SpaceX recovers Starship upper stage intact after Indian Ocean splashdown
Technology
SpaceX just pulled off a big win by recovering its Starship upper stage intact after it splashed down in the Indian Ocean on July 24, 2026.
This marks the first time Starship survived re-entry and splashdown intact, following a one-hour suborbital flight from Texas that also deployed 20 new Starlink satellites.
Starship upper stage headed to Texas
Getting Starship back in one piece is a huge step for making rockets fully reusable. The recovery wasn't easy: SpaceX pointed to challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas.
Now the ship's headed to Texas on a journey expected to take several months after engineers inspected the vehicle and collected heatshield samples off Christmas Island, where further analysis awaits.