SpaceX engineers spent several days inspecting Ship 40 in the waters off Christmas Island as seen in pictures released on Thursday, August 27, 2026. They collected heatshield samples and gained vital insight into how the vehicle handled reentry, with improvements now planned for future vehicles. Starship has now been loaded onto a semi-submersible ship to begin the several-month journey back to Starbase. WAX2026082701 SPACEX
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One-time editorial use in an online article, social media channels, internal presentation, website, newsletter, or blog.
One-time editorial use in a book, newspaper or magazine (excluding cover page), external presentation. Limited to 5,000 circulation. This includes the rights available in the Standard license.
Media Info
Credit: UPI Photo
Media ID:
Recording Date: Aug 27, 2026
Media Size: 4,000×2,250 Pixels
SpaceX engineers spent several days inspecting Ship 40 in the waters off Christmas Island as seen in pictures released on Thursday, August 27, 2026. They collected heatshield samples and gained vital insight into how the vehicle handled reentry, with improvements now planned for future vehicles. Starship has now been loaded onto a semi-submersible ship to begin the several-month journey back to Starbase. WAX2026082701 SPACEX
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