SpaceX has deployed Starship engineers near Christmas Island
SpaceX engineers are heading to Australia's Christmas Island to analyze and attempt to recover the Starship upper stage, which splashed down in the Indian Ocean after re-entering the atmosphere. The spacecraft is currently located near the island’s coast, according to The Guardian World.
Starship was launched from Texas on July 24 during the 13th technology test. After reaching orbit, it deployed 20 non-functional satellites, and the upper stage reentered the atmosphere and splashed down in the ocean. SpaceX stated that the vehicle recovery team guided Starship to an area near Christmas Island. Engineers plan to examine it in calmer waters before attempting to transport it to the Starbase complex.
A spokesperson for the Australian Space Agency reported that after splashdown in international waters, SpaceX towed the spacecraft to Christmas Island. The Australian federal government is in contact with the company regarding the recovery of the spacecraft.
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David Watchorn, head of the Christmas Island Tourism Association, said that local residents saw an object off the coast in the morning that looked like a large ship from a distance but turned out to be a black rocket. According to him, a restricted zone has been established around the spacecraft to prevent recreational vessels from approaching it.
Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist at Flinders University, noted that rocket upper stages can be dangerous due to toxic materials or fuel residues that could explode. At the same time, she assessed that the rocket near the island appears relatively intact, which may indicate a lower risk of fuel leakage.
Adrien Devilpoix, director of the Desert Fireball Network at Curtin University, cited the situation as an example of the potential for recovering and reusing various rocket stages. He noted that previously, such operations mainly involved first stages, whereas the stage near Christmas Island is a later, or upper, stage. It is currently unknown whether any equipment will remain on the island or whether SpaceX will remove everything completely.
