July 18, 2025: 1:29 PM Eastern – First Publication.
NASASpaceflight.com is tracking a developing situation involving the salvage of SpaceX Starship booster parts off the coast near Brownsville, Texas. The construction and salvage ship LB Jill appeared on the Port of Brownsville’s manifest, explicitly stating “To Load Rocket Parts 1 M/T,” strongly suggesting salvage operations of rocket debris from previous Starship flights.
The vessel had been maintaining position near an area where rocket debris from a previous launch may have drifted due to ocean currents. On Saturday, a video on Facebook showed the aft end of a booster, likely B13, being lifted out of the water.
NSF cameras then spotted the ship and the aft section of Booster 13 returning to the Port of Brownsville.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as additional details become available.
Vessel Involved: LB Jill
LB Jill is a unique lift boat, a self-propelled and self-elevating vessel typically used for offshore oil, gas drilling, or construction operations. Equipped with telescoping legs, LB Jill can lower these legs to the seafloor, elevating its hull above the water and providing a stable working platform.
Vessel arrival chart. Credit: Port of Brownsville
Timeline of Recent Activity:
- July 12: LB Jill arrived at the Port of Brownsville from Port Fourchon, Louisiana, staying briefly for one night. Initially, there were no indicators connecting her to rocket salvage operations.
- Post-July 13: LB Jill departed Brownsville and moved south into Mexican waters, lingering about 11.5 nautical miles offshore for several days.
- July 16: LB Jill’s status changed to “Please Keep Clear, 0.25 Nautical Miles,” indicating possible underwater operations, mechanical issues, hazardous cargo handling, or limited maneuverability, all scenarios consistent with salvage operations.
- July 18: Jill reappeared on the Port of Brownsville’s manifest, explicitly stating “To Load Rocket Parts 1 M/T,” strongly suggesting salvage operations of rocket debris.
Potential Salvage Targets:
Previous Starship test flights have yielded several possibilities for salvage operations:
- Flights 1–4: Debris landed far offshore, making them unlikely candidates.
- Flight 5: The hot staging ring was previously recovered.
- Flight 6 (Booster 13): Performed an offshore divert and remained floating for several hours before drifting south, potentially into Mexican waters, closely aligning with LB Jill’s recent activities.
- Flights 7 and 8: Hot staging rings landed near shore, potentially recoverable.
- Flight 9 (Booster 14): Experienced an explosive experimental landing, possibly leaving sizable debris.
Given LB Jill’s position and movements, Booster 13 appears to be the most likely salvage target due to its prolonged flotation period and southward drift.
On Saturday, footage, albeit from a vantage point that should not have allowed in such close proximity to the recovery operations, showed the aft end of a Booster with most of its Raptor engines still attached being lifted out of the water.
It really sucks that people have ignored the safety keep out zone the ship is broadcasting on AIS. The extended footage also shows the ship horn blowing at them to leave the area.
Could easily be divers in the water and this endangers them.
— Gav Cornwell (@spaceOFFSHORE) July 20, 2025
This was likely the prize item of hardware the recovery crew was tasked with, and continued tracking will show when the vessel begins the voyage back north.
Position map via Marine Traffic. Click image for live track.
The vessel then returned to the coast of Texas, with B13’s aft clearly visible on deck.
It is currently sailing into the Port of Browsville, where the recovered hardware will be offloaded and sent for examination by SpaceX at a location yet to be revealed.
LB Jill heading into Port of Brownsville with the aft end of what is likely Booster 13, recovered from the sea.
Live: https://t.co/e3xbqPnwZ5 pic.twitter.com/jq0ae9aV76
— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) July 22, 2025
Historical Context of Salvage Operations:
SpaceX has a documented history of salvaging Starship parts:
- Booster 11’s engine section: Launched June 6, 2024; salvaged in late September 2024.
- Booster 12’s hot staging ring: Launched October 13, 2024; salvaged on October 22, 2024.
Motivation for Salvage:
The purpose behind these salvage efforts is unclear. Speculated reasons include engineering research, environmental mitigation, or even historical preservation.
NASASpaceflight will continue to monitor developments closely. Stay updated through our new BREAKINGspace channel, Starbase Live, and NSF’s social media channels.
(Lead image credit: Jack Beyer for NSF)
