SpaceX Starship the talk of remote Australian island as Elon Musk’s engineers sent to retrieve it

<p>Christmas Island locals who woke to see the spacecraft floating off the coast hope global attention will encourage tourists</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/aug/19/australia-politcs-live-ndis-reform-coalition-labor-anthony-albanese-angus-taylor-mark-butler-david-pocock-question-time-tax-superannuation-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Engineers from Elon Musk’s SpaceX are on their way to a remote Australian island to retrieve part of a Starship that dived into the Indian Ocean.</p><p>The spacecraft – now floating off the coast of Christmas Island – was launched in Texas on 24 July, in the 13th test of the technology. After reaching orbit and releasing 20 non-functioning satellites, the upper stage of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere, landing in the ocean.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/19/elon-musk-spacex-starship-lands-christmas-island-australia">Continue reading...</a>