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SpaceX’s Starship upper stage performed a flip and landing burn before making a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean during its fifth test flight on October 13, 2024. The splashdown came 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 40 seconds after liftoff, and a camera-equipped buoy captured the nighttime event. This was an ocean landing sequence—not a pad landing or a tower catch.
What the Flight 5 splashdown footage shows
The video captures Starship as it returned toward the Indian Ocean, flipped into its landing orientation, and fired its engines for the landing burn before touching down in the target area. HotHardware’s October 21, 2024 report says the splashdown occurred 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 40 seconds after liftoff and that a buoy in the area recorded the event. Read the Flight 5 report and view the footage at HotHardware.
In a statement attributed to SpaceX’s October 18, 2024 X post and reproduced by HotHardware, the company said: “Starship flip maneuver and landing burn on its fifth flight test. Vehicle improvements ensured flaps were protected from high heating, resulting in a controlled entry and high accuracy splashdown at the targeted area in the Indian Ocean.”
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How the splashdown differed from the booster catch
Flight 5 had two separate return milestones. SpaceX caught the Super Heavy booster at the launch tower, while Starship—the upper stage shown in the ocean footage—continued its flight and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. The tower catch was not a catch of Starship, and the ship’s splashdown was not a landing on the launch pad.
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The reported controlled splashdown demonstrates that the test sequence included a flip and powered landing burn. It does not, on its own, establish an intact recovery of the vehicle or routine operational reuse.
How Flight 5 compares with later Starship returns
Later flights had different routes and outcomes, so they should not be confused with the October 2024 footage:
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| Flight | Return and reported outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flight 5, October 2024 | Starship flipped and performed a landing burn before a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The report does not establish an intact recovery. | HotHardware |
| Flight 13, July 2026 | Soft splashdown off Western Australia after deploying 20 Starlink satellites and reigniting a Raptor engine in space. | Space.com |
| Flight 14, September 2026 | The ship splashed down in the Pacific, tipped over, and caught fire. AP reported that an engine issue led controllers to shorten the flight. | Associated Press |
The Flight 13 and Flight 14 details are later context, not part of the Flight 5 event. AP reported that Flight 14 reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink satellites, but its Pacific return ended differently from Flight 13’s soft splashdown and Flight 5’s Indian Ocean test.
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