Overview
- SpaceX launched Flight 13 on July 24 and deployed 20 next‑generation Starlink V3 satellites before the upper stage splashed down softly in the Indian Ocean and remained afloat for days.
- Starlink V3 cameras and company videos have provided imagery of the 52‑meter upper stage at sea and SpaceX has dispatched a recovery ship to retrieve the vehicle for hands‑on inspection.
- The Super Heavy first stage failed to relight enough Raptor engines during its landing burn and hit the Gulf of Mexico at higher speed, suffering heavy damage that ended booster recovery on this flight.
- Engine‑restart performance and heat‑shield seam integrity are open technical issues that SpaceX will study from recovered data and hardware before pursuing a tower 'catch' or rapid reuse.
- Regulators, analysts and NASA are reviewing telemetry and imagery because those findings will affect future booster recovery methods and SpaceX’s timelines for Artemis lunar missions.