SpaceX has released footage showing the first successful soft landing of its Starship vehicle, according to a report from Corriere della Sera. The video, described as remarkable by the Italian newspaper, captures the moment the spacecraft touched down gently on the ocean surface.
The landing marks a significant milestone in the Starship program, which has previously ended test flights with explosions or hard impacts. Corriere della Sera reports that the footage demonstrates the vehicle’s ability to survive a controlled descent and splashdown intact.
Other outlets have noted that the Starship remained afloat for five days after the flight, with hdblog.it and MeteoWeb both highlighting the vehicle’s unexpected buoyancy. The ship reportedly stayed whole and stable in the water, a result that surprised observers and suggested the spacecraft’s structure is more robust than expected.
The successful soft landing comes as NASA studies the return of the new booster for future lunar missions, according to tomshw.it. The agency is reportedly evaluating how the Starship system might be used to support crewed trips to the Moon, with the recent test providing valuable data on reentry and recovery.
SpaceX has not yet announced a timeline for the next Starship flight. However, the combination of a soft ocean landing and the vehicle’s prolonged floatation could inform upcoming test objectives, particularly around booster recovery and reuse. Observers will be watching for whether the company attempts to bring the next Starship back to land rather than water.
