Starship S40 was raised upright inside Megabay 2 at Starbase on October 13, 2026, two days after it reached the Texas facility, according to Daniel Marín’s October 14 report for Naukas. Its return followed an Indian Ocean splashdown and a long recovery by sea and road.

NASASpaceflight footage shows Starship S40 at Starbase

The route from the Indian Ocean to Starbase

S40 remained afloat after its soft splashdown during IFT-13 on July 24. After about 11 days, the Normand Ranger began towing the ship with added flotation devices, accompanied by the Go Australis. Poor weather and slow progress redirected the tow from its planned destination near Dampier, Australia, to Christmas Island.

The semi-submersible Forte arrived at Christmas Island on August 24 and took S40 aboard two days later. It sailed for the United States on August 28, carrying the spacecraft across the Indian Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope. After arriving in Brownsville, Texas, S40 made the final leg to Starbase overland.

DatePlace or stageReported milestone
July 24, 2026Indian OceanS40 launched on IFT-13 and made a soft splashdown about an hour later.
August 18, 2026Christmas IslandS40 reached the island after the tow was diverted.
August 24, 2026Christmas IslandThe semi-submersible Forte arrived.
August 26, 2026Christmas IslandS40 was loaded aboard Forte.
August 28, 2026Indian OceanForte departed for the United States.
October 7, 2026Brownsville, TexasS40 arrived at port.
October 11, 2026Starbase, TexasS40 arrived after the overland leg.
October 13, 2026Megabay 2, StarbaseS40 was raised upright inside the facility.

What damage was reported

Marín’s account says waves during the tow damaged S40’s hull and forward aerodynamic surfaces: one of the two surfaces was lost, and more than half of the other was damaged. The report also describes dented Raptor nozzles and rust after exposure to salt water. It attributes a breach in the heat shield to reentry.

S40’s survival of the splashdown made its recovery possible, but the reported condition included damage from both reentry and the maritime journey. The October 14 account discussed repair for display and dismantling for analysis as possible outcomes; it said the spacecraft’s eventual disposition had not been decided at that point.

What the 75-day figure refers to

In a NASASpaceflight update, presenter Max Evans said S40 had returned after “75 days at sea.” The phrase does not specify an endpoint. Based on the dates in Marín’s account, 75 elapsed days passed from the July 24 launch to S40’s October 7 arrival in Brownsville; the October 11 arrival at Starbase was 79 elapsed days after launch.