SpaceX's Ship 40 floated after re-entry, towed in Indian Ocean
Technology
SpaceX just pulled its Starship prototype, Ship 40, being towed in the Indian Ocean after a test flight, and it actually floated.
Engineers were surprised by how well the spacecraft handled re-entry and splashdown, making this a big win for SpaceX's push to build rockets that can be reused.
SpaceX heat shield survived 28,000km/h
The recovery involved Norwegian tugboats teaming up with SpaceX's Go Australis ship to tow Ship 40 at a slow pace.
By studying how the heat shield survived blazing re-entry speeds over 28,000km per hour, SpaceX gets crucial data for building rockets that can fly again, helping make future trips to the moon and Mars more affordable.