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SpaceX Starship recovery at Christmas Island Complete Timelapse
Chris Bray Photography ^ | Aug 28 2026 | Chris Bray

Posted on 08/28/2026 7:05:11 AM PDT by texas booster

Incredible to watch! This complete timelapse captures more than eight hours of complex manoeuvring as Starship 40 is recovered at Christmas Island. Watch the heavy-lift ship FORTE ballast down into the water and rise again, while the Normand Ranger, barges and smaller support boats work together to carefully bring the rocket safely aboard for its journey back to the United States.

A quick note to my regular subscribers: Don’t worry—this isn’t becoming a space channel! Wildlife photography & photography tutorials will remain my focus here. But when a recovered Starship appears practically in my backyard, it’s far too extraordinary not to document and share. I hope you enjoy this unusual little detour!

A shout out also to the generous Marcus House on his fascinating space YouTube channel @MarcusHouse who was the one who originally shared all my instagram photos ( / chrisbrayphotography ) of this rocket arriving that made it all go so viral, ending up on TV, newspapers etc all around the world - Elon Musk even commented on my photos. It's been a crazy week. haha.

Anyway, I have 1hr left before I have to rush to the airport now, off to Kenya for my annual photo tour! Excited!


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: chrisbrayphotography; christmasisland; starship
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A sub-four minute video of the moving of Starship 40, by Christmas Island, onto the semisubmersible ship Forte for transport back to Texas.

Fascinating!

1 posted on 08/28/2026 7:05:11 AM PDT by texas booster
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To: texas booster

I saw that earlier. It reminded me of someone trying to parallel park................


2 posted on 08/28/2026 7:44:25 AM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: texas booster

Very cool! Ship is coming home.


3 posted on 08/28/2026 8:06:54 AM PDT by citizen (Say it with me.....the UK is now UKistan. Short & to the poinhow the US armed foerces.)
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To: texas booster

Its another thing the “experts” said couldn’t be done but Musk found a way.


4 posted on 08/28/2026 8:12:16 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: pfflier

Actually Musk did not find a way.

Musk has the talent, perhaps genius, to assemble the best minds existent to go to work for his companies and actually create his vision

The team of the best rocket men in the whole world solved the problem they conceived before they developed a solution.

The SpaceX rocket man team leaves all the other rocket men in the governments of Russia, China, India and NASA in their dust. They have no commercial equals either


5 posted on 08/28/2026 8:18:55 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: bert
Actually Musk did not find a way.

He had the vision and assembled the team. That, to me, pretty much put him in charge.

6 posted on 08/28/2026 8:56:41 AM PDT by pfflier
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