A SpaceX Starship upper stage came to rest in waters off Christmas Island after splashing down in the Indian Ocean, following a test flight that launched from Texas on 24 July 2026. Local residents reported seeing the 52-metre vehicle being towed toward the island, sparking widespread curiosity across the remote Australian territory.
David Watchorn, chair of the Christmas Island Tourism Association, said he initially mistook the object for passing ships on his commute to work before realising what he was actually looking at.
"a rocket, a space rocket"
Watchorn said the sighting drew a strong reaction from locals, some of whom left work early to catch a glimpse, while others readied boats to view the debris up close.
"It's really incredible to think about what it's been through"
"The more and more you look at it, the more fascinating it's becoming"
What is the rocket and where did it come from?
The vehicle has been identified as Ship 40, the upper stage from Starship Flight 13, measuring 52 metres, or 171 feet, in length, according to a national broadcaster's report. It launched from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas on 24 July 2026 as part of that test mission. During the flight, SpaceX reportedly released 20 non-functioning satellites before the upper stage re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the ocean, according to a report from an international outlet. Christmas Island itself lies roughly 220 miles south of Java and about 1,500 kilometres from the coast of Western Australia, according to the same broadcaster's coverage.
How was the rocket recovered?
SpaceX confirmed on 18 August 2026 that its recovery team had successfully guided the Starship to a position just off Christmas Island, with engineers travelling to the site for further analysis before any attempt to return the vehicle to Starbase, according to the international outlet's report. The rocket had reportedly spent about 24 days at sea before the recovery was announced, according to the broadcaster's coverage. Australia's federal government was said to be engaging with SpaceX over the recovery effort after the vehicle was towed into international waters near the island, and a 500-metre exclusion zone was reportedly established around the rocket and support vessels near Flying Fish Cove, according to a regional news report. Accounts of the towing speed varied, with one report citing roughly 3 knots and another describing a slower pace of about 1 knot, according to separate coverage from a US business outlet and the regional report cited above.
Why does this landing matter?
Coverage described the event as the Starship program's first successful intact ocean splashdown, which is why SpaceX opted to recover the vehicle for inspection rather than leave it at sea, according to a spaceflight news outlet.
What happens next?
SpaceX engineers are expected to examine the vehicle in calmer waters near Christmas Island before attempting to bring it back to Starbase, according to the international outlet's report. One account suggested the rocket could remain near the island for several days or weeks before another vessel takes over the journey onward, according to the US business outlet.
- Launched from Starbase, Texas, on 24 July 2026 as part of Starship Flight 13
- Identified as Ship 40, measuring 52 metres in length
- Spotted off Christmas Island after roughly 24 days at sea
- Recovery confirmed by SpaceX on 18 August 2026, with a 500-metre exclusion zone near Flying Fish Cove
- Engineers plan to inspect the vehicle before returning it to Starbase
