SPACEX FINALLY RECOVERS STARSHIP AFTER 24 DAYS OF TUGGING IT THROUGH ROUGH WATERS

Summary from the TLDR Hardware newsletter

After Starship's upper stage splashed down intact in the Indian Ocean following its 13th test flight in late July, SpaceX decided to actually recover it, an unplanned bonus given the vehicle survived reentry in one piece. What followed was a grueling 24-day tow through increasingly rough seas, with the 171-foot spacecraft finally reaching calm waters off Christmas Island, Australia, where engineers will now inspect it before deciding how and when to get it back to Starbase. A close physical inspection gives engineers far more detail than onboard sensors and cameras alone, informing modifications ahead of Starship Flight 14, targeted for late August to early September, which will attempt the vehicle's first full orbital test.