Watch As SpaceX Starship Flips In A Spectacular Nighttime Ocean Splashdown

SpaceX called the fifth test flight of Starship its “most ambitious test objectives yet.” It was also the company’s first attempt at catching a Super Heavy booster with its mammoth Mechzilla structure, which ended in a spectacular and successful conclusion. As mostly everyone focused on the monumental catch, others were intently watching the return of Starship over the Indian Ocean.

According to SpaceX, Starship executed a successful hot-staging separation, as it ignited its six Raptor engines and completed its ascent into outer space. It continued along its planned trajectory to the other side of Earth before executing a controlled reentry. As it approached the waters of the Indian Ocean, the spacecraft executed a flip, landing burn, and then a successful splashdown at its target area. The splashdown occurred 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 40 seconds after launch.

The entire event was captured by a camera-equipped buoy located in the target area where Starship made its splashdown. In a post on X by the space agency sharing the splashdown, the company remarked, “Starship flip maneuver and landing burn on its fifth flight test. Vehicle improvements ensured flaps were protected from high heating, resulting in a controlled entry and high accuracy splashdown at the targeted area in the Indian Ocean.”


The spacecraft’s ability to perform the flip and land upright on the ground is one of many reasons the spacecraft is a part of NASA’s plans to land on the surface of the Moon with its Artemis program. NASA tested the Super Heavy booster last month in a wind tunnel that forced an air stream at a Super Heavy scale model at high speeds. Engineers measured how the model responded to simulated flight conditions, observing its stability, aerodynamic performance, and more. The data collected will be used to refine the exterior design of future versions of the booster that will carry the Starship human landing system (HLS) on its journeys to the Moon.

As cool as the flip and splashdown is, SpaceX remarked it plans on catching the Starship spacecraft in the same manner it did its Super Heavy booster during the fifth test flight. The ability to securely catch the spacecraft after it returns from missions to outer space will help ensure the reusability of Starship for future missions.

In a blog post on the SpaceX website after the successful launch, catch, and splashdown, the company remarked, “The entire SpaceX team should take pride in the engineering feat they just accomplished. The world witnessed what the future will look like when Starship starts carrying crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”