SpaceX struggles to salvage intact Starship from Indian Ocean

SpaceX is encountering severe difficulties in its attempt to retrieve the Starship S40 spacecraft from the Indian Ocean following the rocket’s unexpected survival during its 13th test flight.

The 52-metre vessel remained fully intact and afloat after splashdown, surprising engineers after its predecessor exploded upon hitting the water. Recovery teams are now attempting the unprecedented logistical challenge of towing the massive rocket thousands of kilometres back to port.

The company and CEO react

SpaceX shared updates of the salvage operation on the social media platform X, noting that crews are battling deteriorating weather, rough waters and mechanical hurdles.

«The SpaceX Recovery team is still working to recover Flight 13’s Starship from the Indian Ocean,» the company stated. «They’ve been overcoming challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas as they attempt to guide the 52m long spacecraft to port.»

Unfortunately, ship recovery is not looking good right now.

Nonetheless, we were able to obtain close-up photos of critical regions of the heat shield and engines for future upgrades.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2026

Company CEO Elon Musk expressed doubt about the operation’s ultimate success.

«Unfortunately, ship recovery is not looking good right now,» Musk said. «Nonetheless, we were able to obtain close-up photos of critical regions of the heat shield and engines for future upgrades.»

The sheer scale of the spacecraft combined with the turbulent ocean swells has turned the salvage effort into a highly complex maritime operation. Despite the recovery hurdles, the 13th flight remains one of the most successful missions in the Starship programme to date.

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