SpaceX's Recovered Starship 40 to Take Months for Return Trip to Texas

Starship 40 Mission and Recovery

SpaceX launched Starship 40 from Starbase in South Texas on July 24. The mission was suborbital and deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites, which reentered the atmosphere as intended after approximately 65 minutes. The primary goal was to test Starship's payload deployment system as part of SpaceX's development of a reusable launch system.

Unlike previous Starship upper stages, Starship 40 survived its splashdown in the Indian Ocean intact. This intact recovery provides SpaceX engineers with a complete spacecraft to study, offering more data than telemetry or scattered debris from prior missions.

Complex Transport Operation

The process of returning the 171-foot spacecraft from the Indian Ocean to Texas is a significant undertaking. After 24 days at sea, SpaceX's recovery team guided Starship 40 to calmer waters near Christmas Island, an Australian territory. The Normand Ranger tugged the spacecraft to this location.

A 710-foot transport ship named Forte then took over. Crews tethered Starship 40 alongside Forte, which filled its ballast tanks to submerge its cargo deck. The spacecraft was then aligned with a custom-built cradle on the submerged deck. Forte subsequently pumped out the ballast water, lifting Starship 40 into place for transport.

Shipping Expertise Utilized

While recovering a rocket in this manner may be a novel application, the method of transporting large objects by submerging a cargo deck is common in the shipping industry. Shipping expert Sal Mercogliano noted that ships like Forte routinely handle such tasks for various large cargo items, including barges, cranes, and other vessels.

Extended Journey Home

SpaceX has stated that the journey to transport Starship 40 from the Indian Ocean back to Texas will take several months. This extended timeline reflects the logistical challenges involved in moving such a large and specialized piece of equipment across a significant distance.