SpaceX in talks to land and recover Starship rocket

 SpaceX is in discussions with U.S. and Australian officials to land and recover one of its Starship rockets off Australia’s coast. This initiative could mark a significant step towards a larger presence for Elon Musk’s company in the region, as the two countries strengthen security ties, according to three sources familiar with the plans.

Since a Starship rocket successfully made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean in June, SpaceX has been keen to expand its testing campaign. Successful landings and subsequent recovery of the boosters are crucial for the rapid development of the giant, reusable rocket designed to launch satellites into orbit and land astronauts on the moon. The plan involves launching Starship from a SpaceX facility in Texas, landing it in the sea off Australia’s coast, and recovering it on Australian territory. To achieve this, U.S. export controls on sophisticated space technologies bound for Australia would need to be relaxed, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Biden administration has already sought to ease similar restrictions within the AUKUS security alliance—a partnership between the United States, Australia, and Britain aimed at countering China. SpaceX, the U.S. Space Force, and the Australian Space Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Towing the Starship, after it lands in the ocean or on a barge, to a nearby port on Australia’s western or northern coasts is seen as ideal, though specific plans and locations are still under discussion, the sources said.

These discussions highlight the U.S. d

etermination to help Australia enhance its military capabilities as a deterrent to an increasingly assertive China in the region. The proposed SpaceX arrangement would increase trust in a close American ally that has long sought to expand its space defense program, strengthen civil and military space ties with the United States, and stimulate its own space industrial base.

Recent talks between SpaceX executives and U.S. and Australian officials have focused on overcoming regulatory hurdles for bringing a recovered Starship booster ashore in a foreign country, the sources said. Since these discussions are ongoing, the timing of any Starship landing off Australia remains unclear. The sources indicated that the proposed test landings would likely be the first phase of a larger future presence for SpaceX in Australia. This could include launching from a facility on the continent or landing a Starship booster on land instead of in the ocean, although these possibilities are still in the early stages of discussion.

In developing its partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket about a decade ago, SpaceX also conducted ocean-based test landings before attempting touchdowns on land and atop barges at sea. The Falcon 9 is now SpaceX’s workhorse rocket, and its first-stage booster has made hundreds of routine landings from space.