Brownsville, Texas, July 20, 2025 — In a remarkable feat of engineering and recovery, SpaceX has successfully retrieved the aft section of its Starship Super Heavy Booster 13 from the Gulf of Mexico, following its splashdown during the sixth test flight of the Starship program on November 19, 2024. The recovery operation, which took place off the coast near Brownsville, Texas, has been likened to unearthing the relics of a futuristic civilization, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sharing striking images of the salvaged rocket section on social media.
The operation was conducted using the construction and salvage ship LB Jill, which appeared on the Port of Brownsville’s manifest with the explicit purpose of loading “Rocket Parts 1 M/T.” The vessel, a self-propelled, self-elevating lift boat typically used for offshore oil and gas operations, was positioned in an area where Booster 13 had drifted after its controlled splashdown. The booster, which floated for several hours before sinking, was likely carried south by ocean currents, potentially into Mexican waters, making it a prime candidate for this salvage effort.
This recovery marks a significant moment in SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program, which aims to develop a fully reusable rocket system capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The salvaged section, described by Musk as resembling “the ruins of a futuristic, long-dead civilization,” includes critical components such as parts of the booster’s Raptor engines. These engines, among the most advanced in the world, are subject to strict export control laws, prompting speculation that SpaceX’s recovery efforts were partly motivated by a desire to prevent sensitive technology from falling into the hands of competitors or foreign entities.
The Starship program has seen steady progress through its test flights. While earlier flights resulted in boosters being destroyed or lost, the sixth test flight demonstrated significant advancements, including a successful splashdown of the Starship upper stage in the Indian Ocean. However, the planned “chopstick” catch of Booster 13 by the launch tower’s mechanical arms was aborted due to unfavorable flight data, leading to the ocean landing. The recovery of Booster 13’s remnants provides SpaceX with valuable data to refine its reusable rocket technology, a cornerstone of the company’s vision to make space travel more affordable and sustainable.
SpaceX’s recovery operation was not without intrigue. Independent filmmakers from Interstellar Gateway, who chartered a boat to observe the salvage, captured images of the HOS Ridgewind, another offshore service ship, recovering parts of a previous Starship booster (Booster 11) in September 2024. Their findings suggest SpaceX has been quietly conducting such operations to retrieve valuable hardware, possibly to analyze performance or safeguard proprietary technology.
The successful salvage of Booster 13 underscores SpaceX’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration. As the company prepares for future test flights, with plans for up to 25 launches in 2025, the data gleaned from this recovery will likely inform improvements to the Starship system. NASA, which has selected Starship as the crewed lander for its Artemis III mission to the Moon in 2026, is closely watching these developments, as they pave the way for humanity’s return to the lunar surface and eventual missions to Mars.
“This is a testament to SpaceX’s relentless pursuit of innovation,” said Kate Tice, a quality systems engineer at SpaceX, during a recent company webcast. “Every piece we recover brings us closer to a fully reusable Starship, capable of taking humanity to new frontiers.”
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