Engineers from Elon Musk's SpaceX are heading to a remote Australian island to retrieve a piece of the Starship spacecraft that descended into the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft, located off the coast of Christmas Island, was launched from Texas on July 24 during the 13th test of the technology. After reaching orbit and deploying 20 non-functional satellites, the upper stage of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the ocean.
SpaceX announced on social media that the recovery team successfully guided Starship to a location off the coast of Christmas Island, and engineers are traveling to conduct further analysis in calm waters before returning to Starbase. David Vothorn, chairman of the Christmas Island Tourism Association, said that on Tuesday local residents spotted objects resembling three large ships, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a black rocket. The appearance of the spacecraft has become a major topic of discussion on the island, and locals hope that the global attention will attract tourists.
Alice Gorman, an associate professor and space archaeologist at Flinders University, noted the rapid increase in the number of launched satellites, leading to a rise in space debris and returning debris. According to her, there are currently about 16,000 active satellites in orbit, of which approximately 10,000 belong to SpaceX constellations. She added that upper rocket stages can pose a danger due to toxic materials or residual fuel, but the object near Christmas Island looks relatively intact, which reduces the risk of fuel leaks.
A spokesperson for the Australian Space Agency confirmed that SpaceX towed the vehicle to Christmas Island after its return and landing in international waters, and federal authorities are cooperating with the company on the rescue operation. Dr. Hadrien Devillepoix from the Desert Fireball Network at Curtin University noted that the situation demonstrates the potential for the reuse of rocket stages, including upper stages.
