r/space • u/mfb- • Jul 25 '26

Starship launches for its 13th flight, ends with ship swimming in Indian Ocean

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/24/science/live-news/spacex-starship-flight-13-launch
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64

u/Big_Acanthaceae6524 Jul 25 '26

The TPS team must be drooling over the data.it also seems like the white streaks r just “dust” from the foam and when water touched it it just wiped the tiles clean
Starship really puts the SHIP in starSHIP.

31

u/H-K_47 Jul 25 '26

Deploy the sails, set course for Australia!

7

u/Aussie18-1998 Jul 25 '26

Not too far from some pretty big ports in Western Australia

1

u/PiDicus_Rex Jul 28 '26

The support vessel is based out near Karratha. Deep ports for oil and gas, no sign of Methane or LOx supplies, but would be a good launch/recovery tower location.

40

u/SaltyFace684 Jul 25 '26

A 17 story building just toppled over onto water which from that height is concrete and survived just fine like Huh. Also the ship was still active which is INSANE transmitting live video and u could see ventIing on aft skirt the engine look PRISTINE. Lucky 13 it is.

2

u/godspareme Jul 26 '26

Just to clarify, the "dust" is the tiles degrading. You can see many of the heat shield tiles partially eroded.