SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight achieved a major milestone Friday with an intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean west of Australia. The upper stage survived reentry at 2,600°F and floated upright, giving engineers their best look yet at the heat shield protecting its stainless steel airframe.

Encouraged by the success, Elon Musk announced SpaceX will attempt a tower catch of the ship on the next flight, using mechanical arms on the launch tower—similar to the Super Heavy booster recoveries already demonstrated. The 408-foot Starship Version 3 rocket launched from Starbase, Texas on July 24, 2026.

While Starship performed flawlessly—deploying 20 Starlink V3 satellites and executing a critical engine restart—the Super Heavy booster failed its landing burn, splashing down hard in the Gulf. Engineers continue refining booster recovery for the Version 3 design.

The intact splashdown enables potential recovery for detailed heat shield inspection, crucial for SpaceX's goal of rapid reuse. With orbital flight and tower capture next, Starship moves closer to launching operational Starlink V3s for high-speed connectivity.