SpaceX to recover Starship upper stage after Indian Ocean splashdown
SpaceX engineers are heading to Christmas Island after a Starship rocket's upper stage splashed down in the Indian Ocean.
This was the rocket's 13th test flight, which saw it launch from Texas, drop off 20 nonworking satellites in orbit, and then return to Earth.
The floating rocket will be checked out near the island before attempting to return it to SpaceX's Starbase for a deeper look.
Christmas Island locals hope tourism boost
The unexpected visitor has stirred up excitement on Christmas Island. Locals hope the attention might boost tourism and shine a light on their island's unique wildlife.
Safety is still a top priority: experts say there could be leftover fuel, but since the rocket looks mostly intact, risks are low.
To keep things safe during recovery, officials have set up an exclusion zone and are working closely with SpaceX, a move that also shows how reusing rockets might become more common in future space missions.