SpaceX's fallen rocket heads back to the US after Australian sojourn
The Starship 40 rocket that landed in the Indian Ocean and was towed to Christmas Island is finally heading back to the US after amusing locals for the past week.
SpaceX's Starship 40, after its 24-day voyage at sea, has set sail for the United States following its retrieval from waters off Christmas Island. The heavy-duty transport vessel Forte departed Christmas Island on Friday, en route to the US. Starship 40 submerged in the Indian Ocean on July 24 and was towed to Christmas Island, located about 1,500 kilometers off Western Australia's northern coast.
The retrieval operation commenced on Tuesday, with the Forte's ballast tank filled to lower its deck below the surface for positioning. Local communities on Christmas Island were captivated by the rocket's presence, with students following its journey and social media flooded with pictures. A local bar even named a cocktail after the event.
The 52-meter-long rocket, SpaceX's first intact upper stage spacecraft, could offer valuable insights for engineers aiming to develop a reusable rocket for space exploration.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
