SpaceX is recovering the intact Ship 40 from the Indian Ocean after its soft landing on Flight 13, while teams are readying Ship 41 for engine testing at Massey’s and continuing Pad 2 work toward a potential Flight 14 as early as late August.
What Happened
Ship 40 performed a controlled flip and landing burn: it ignited its engines, flipped vertically, swung into position, down-selected to two engines, and soft-landed in the water. Unlike previous flights where toppling after splashdown destroyed the vehicle, Ship 40 remained intact, giving SpaceX drone cameras clear close-up views of the thermal protection system while the ship floated.
Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX dispatched recovery vessels rather than scuttling the ship or allowing it to sink, and noted that the landing accuracy would have permitted a catch by the tower arms. The vessel drifted more than 400 kilometers as GO Australis tracked it; Normand Ranger and Skimmer Tide later joined the effort in the Indian Ocean, with Normand Ranger arriving first. Recovery operations are underway, though towing the vehicle to shore may require several additional days.
In-space imagery from Starlink Version 3 satellites deployed on Flight 13 shows the heatshield largely intact despite elevated aerodynamic pressure during ascent. The principal concern lies in the aft section, where several tiles are missing and the bottom rim exhibits damage. Satellite views establish that this damage originated earlier in flight, giving teams concrete evidence to refine the TPS for subsequent missions.
Meanwhile, Ship 41 has finished cryogenic testing, been fitted with engines, and is prepared to roll out to Massey’s for engine testing as early as later this week. A road closure from Production to Massey’s has been filed; if the movement involves Ship 41, the static-fire campaign could begin within days. After that campaign, the ship will return to the bay for payload integration and final preparations.
At Pad 2, teams launched inspections and repairs immediately after Flight 13. The pad surface and surrounding berm walls survived largely intact, but inside the flame trench crews positioned lifts to inspect walls and installed burn plates on sections that absorbed higher heat loads than anticipated — likely due to the extended static fire of Booster 20. Workers have also removed components from the tower arms in a sequence consistent with preparations for a possible ship catch.
Booster 21 has completed its cryogenic test campaign and is receiving engines ahead of its static-fire sequence. COMPASS planning materials list August 20 as a potential date for Flight 14, updated from an earlier August 13 reference, though the schedule remains subject to vehicle and pad progress.
Why It Matters
The intact recovery supplies engineers with direct physical access to a flown Starship’s thermal protection system after a complete flight — a first that can inform TPS refinements for future missions. The successful soft landing also validates the flip-and-land burn profile, supporting eventual catch attempts by the tower arms.
Ship 41’s progress keeps pace toward Flight 14, which could occur as soon as late August if vehicle static fires and pad repairs stay on schedule. Insights from Starlink V3 satellite imagery add another layer of in-flight data, while ongoing Raptor testing at McGregor — including a ~140-second firing matching an ascent-burn duration for Booster 20’s reinstalled engine — continues to qualify hardware ahead of upcoming launches.
The Bottom Line
SpaceX is closing the loop on Flight 13 with an intact ship recovery and a trove of heatshield data, while simultaneously moving Ship 41 through testing. A potential Flight 14 in late August hinges on vehicle readiness and pad work.