Recovered Starship upper stage arrives back at SpaceX's Texas site
SpaceX's Starship upper stage from Flight 13, Ship 40, has returned to Starbase aboard the vessel Forte. It splashed down in the Indian Ocean in July and was later recovered for inspection after staying intact. The vehicle gives engineers a chance to examine its heat shield and other parts, unlike the upper stages from Flights 12 and 14, which exploded after splashdown.
Ship 40, the upper stage flown on Flight 13, reached Starbase aboard the vessel Forte after being towed through the Port of Brownsville. It had splashed down in the Indian Ocean in July and underwent an in-water check near Christmas Island in August.
Unlike the Flight 12 and 14 upper stages, which exploded after touchdown, Ship 40 tipped over and remained afloat. Teams removed some heat-shield tiles for reuse on Flight 14, giving engineers rare physical hardware to study as SpaceX pursues full reusability.
The recovery could give SpaceX and NASA more confidence in Starship's heat shield and reuse plans, potentially affecting future lunar Artemis missions and commercial launch schedules. Engineers may gain data that improves safety and lowers costs over time. Broader society might eventually see effects through cheaper access to orbit, but near-term impacts remain concentrated among space industry workers, researchers, and mission planners.