SpaceX to Execute Starship Landings and Recovery Off Australia's Coast
SpaceX is currently negotiating with U.S. and Australian officials regarding the possibility of landing and recovering a Starship rocket off the coast of Australia. This move could be part of a broader strategy to enhance the company's presence in the area. This development comes after a successful test in which Starship achieved its inaugural controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating its promise for upcoming space missions.
TroibNews 
SpaceX is engaging in negotiations with both U.S. and Australian authorities regarding the potential landing and recovery of a Starship rocket off Australia's coast. This initiative indicates Elon Musk's company's efforts to broaden its activities in the region, aligning with the strengthening security relationship between the two nations.
These discussions follow a notable event in June, where a Starship rocket successfully performed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This milestone has led SpaceX to pursue additional testing opportunities.
The plan under consideration involves launching the Starship from Texas, having it land in the waters near Australia, and subsequently recovering it on Australian land. Implementing this proposal would necessitate modifications to the U.S. export controls governing advanced space technology.
The specifics of transporting the Starship to a port on either Australia's western or northern shores are still being evaluated. Additionally, there are ongoing talks about further SpaceX activities in Australia, which might include launching or landing rockets directly within the country's territory.
Neither SpaceX, the U.S. Space Force, nor the Australian Space Agency has provided comments on these discussions.
SpaceX's Starship, a massive 400-foot reusable rocket, is intended for various missions such as launching satellites, carrying astronauts to the moon, and potentially delivering military cargo around the world within 90 minutes. The test flight conducted in June was the most successful to date.
The U.S. Air Force's "Rocket Cargo" program aims to utilize similar rockets for the swift global delivery of cargo, a concept that gained validation from the June Starship test. SpaceX is exploring this application under a $102 million contract with the Pentagon, with plans to develop a more advanced prototype in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force by 2025.
(With input from Reuters)
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
These discussions follow a notable event in June, where a Starship rocket successfully performed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This milestone has led SpaceX to pursue additional testing opportunities.
The plan under consideration involves launching the Starship from Texas, having it land in the waters near Australia, and subsequently recovering it on Australian land. Implementing this proposal would necessitate modifications to the U.S. export controls governing advanced space technology.
The specifics of transporting the Starship to a port on either Australia's western or northern shores are still being evaluated. Additionally, there are ongoing talks about further SpaceX activities in Australia, which might include launching or landing rockets directly within the country's territory.
Neither SpaceX, the U.S. Space Force, nor the Australian Space Agency has provided comments on these discussions.
SpaceX's Starship, a massive 400-foot reusable rocket, is intended for various missions such as launching satellites, carrying astronauts to the moon, and potentially delivering military cargo around the world within 90 minutes. The test flight conducted in June was the most successful to date.
The U.S. Air Force's "Rocket Cargo" program aims to utilize similar rockets for the swift global delivery of cargo, a concept that gained validation from the June Starship test. SpaceX is exploring this application under a $102 million contract with the Pentagon, with plans to develop a more advanced prototype in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force by 2025.
(With input from Reuters)
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
