Starship still floating in Indian Ocean 5 days later
SpaceX's Starship upper stage is still floating in the Indian Ocean five days after Flight Test 13, following what the company called its softest ocean splashdown yet. A July 28 photo shows the scorch-streaked ship mostly above the waves off Western Australia, giving engineers rare views of an intact heat shield after reentry.
Key Takeaways
- Starship floating Indian Ocean imagery from July 28 confirms the Flight 13 upper stage was still afloat days after splashdown.
- The July 24 Flight Test 13 from Starbase, Texas, was Starship's first flight since SpaceX's IPO and its softest ocean landing yet.
- Starship deployed all 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites and provided first critical views of an intact heat shield.
- The Super Heavy booster completed separation but hit the Gulf of Mexico harder than planned after incomplete engine relights.
- Neither stage was meant to be recovered; Elon Musk says Flight 14 may attempt a tower catch of the ship.
Why is Starship still floating in the Indian Ocean?
Space.com's space photo of the day for July 29, 2026, highlights a striking image SpaceX shared on X on Tuesday, July 28. The company said the vehicle was "still afloat in the Indian Ocean" after Flight Test 13 on July 24.
The 171-foot (52-meter) Starship Version 3 upper stage rests mostly out of the water, looking seaworthy despite reentry scorch marks. Space.com noted the soft landing left the craft floating off the coast of Western Australia roughly four to five days later.
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What happened on Starship Flight 13?
SpaceX launched the 408-foot-tall (124-meter) Starship V3 stack from Starbase, Texas, on Friday evening, July 24 — the 13th test flight and the first since the company's June IPO, CNBC reported.
About two minutes in, the Super Heavy booster separated. It completed hot-staging and a flip that a prior launch botched, but only a subset of engines lit for the landing burn, leading to a harder-than-planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The upper stage made a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean "coming to rest intact" and offering critical views of an intact heat shield for the first time, SpaceX said. About 18 minutes into the flight, Starship deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites. Spokesperson Dan Huot called it "lucky number 13" on the livestream.
Friday's attempt followed a July 16 engine-ignition abort and a July 23 weather scrub.
Why does this splashdown matter for SpaceX next?
Starship is designed for rapid reuse: land both stages, inspect, refuel, and fly again within days. An intact ship floating days later is a milestone, but experts say durable, reusable heat shields remain a major hurdle.
Investors are watching closely. Yahoo Finance reported SpaceX stock hit an all-time low of $109.53 on Monday before recovering, closing up 2.6% Tuesday after Friday's test. Musk wrote that unless problems emerge in data review, SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower on the next flight.
For now, the starship floating Indian Ocean photo is the clearest public proof that Flight 13's soft splashdown left the vehicle intact long after touchdown.