Normand Ranger Battles Rough Seas Towing SpaceX Starship in Indian Ocean

Normand Ranger ran into rough weather on August 7 while towing SpaceX's Starship Ship 40 across the Indian Ocean toward Dampier in Western Australia. Recovery is harder than SpaceX expected. The seas turned.

Ship 40 came down from the Starship Flight 13 mission in July and survived reentry intact, the first Starship upper stage to remain afloat after splashdown. A recovery fleet secured the spacecraft around August 3 and Normand Ranger began the long haul east. Engineers photographed the heat shield and engines during the calmer early stretch of the tow. The data will feed future upgrades.

For background on interpreting ship movement in changing conditions, our guides explain how to use the Weather Map, tracking ships during bad weather, and understanding ship route changes.