SpaceX Deploys Normand Ranger to Recover First Flown Starship V3

Starship Flight 13 lifted off on July 24, 2026. The mission ran 65 minutes before the vehicle came down in the Indian Ocean, a soft splashdown that marked the first time a flown Starship V3 booster had come to rest at sea.

Five days later, it was still out there.

SpaceX dispatched the Normand Ranger to retrieve it. The ship is part of SpaceX's maritime recovery fleet, used on support operations in open water. As of July 29, it was heading toward the downed booster.

This is the first recovery of a flown Starship V3 from open ocean. SpaceX has previously caught boosters at the launch site. Pulling one out of the Indian Ocean is a different kind of operation. The Normand Ranger is how it gets done.

For context on following specialist vessels at sea, read about identifying ship types, offshore satellite AIS tracking, and examining vessel route history.