FAA just revealed SpaceX is Landing Starship on Droneship by Legs

Landing a rocket on a floating drone ship was once considered a sci-fi fantasy. But today, SpaceX has made it routine, turning Falcon 9 booster landings into a cornerstone of its reusability strategy. Now, SpaceX is preparing to take that concept to a new level with Starship—the company’s next-generation super heavy-lift vehicle.

Backed by plans disclosed in FAA proposals, SpaceX aims to land Starship on drone ships using deployable legs, paving the way for high-frequency launches and global coverage.

But how exactly will this evolution unfold? And why is it such a game-changer for the future of spaceflight?

From Falcon 9 to Starship — Scaling the Proven Drone Ship Method

The Falcon 9 Legacy

Over the past decade, Falcon 9 has demonstrated the effectiveness of landing rockets at sea. By recovering first-stage boosters on drone ships, SpaceX has cut costs, reduced turnaround times, and executed record-breaking launch cadences—over 500 successful Falcon 9 missions, many of which used the same boosters up to 29 times.

Enter Starship

Starship is a much larger and more ambitious vehicle than Falcon 9. Designed to be fully reusable from the outset, it stands over 120 meters tall when stacked with its Super Heavy booster. Its goal? Revolutionize not just Earth orbit missions, but interplanetary travel. And to achieve that vision, SpaceX must apply and scale up its drone ship landing strategy to handle the size, mass, and complexity of Starship.

Why Drone Ship Landings Make Sense for Starship

Ocean Recovery Equals Flexibility

One of the greatest advantages of drone ship landings is flexibility in recovery location. By placing ships along optimal trajectories, SpaceX reduces the amount of fuel Starship needs to reserve for its return—freeing up more capacity for payload or longer-range missions.

Additionally, landing at sea offers a natural buffer zone. There’s reduced risk to infrastructure or people in case of a failure. The ocean acts as a shock absorber, both physically and politically.

Avoiding Splashdowns

Unlike NASA’s Apollo-era capsules, splashdowns are not compatible with SpaceX’s vision of rapid reuse. Water causes corrosion, contamination, and costly refurbishment. Instead, landing with deployable legs on drone ships ensures faster turnaround, cleaner recovery, and minimal structural wear.

FAA Proposals Reveal a Global Starship Network

According to recent FAA documentation, SpaceX has formally proposed a significant increase in Starship’s launch cadence:

44 launches annually from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center
25 launches per year from Starbase in Texas
Up to 76 launches annually from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral

Distant Landings in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

To support these numbers, SpaceX must think globally. The FAA filings also mention drone ship landings in remote regions such as the Pacific and Indian Oceans. These aren’t speculative—they’re part of the operational roadmap. Multiple recovery points worldwide will be critical for Starship’s ambitious intercontinental and deep space goals.

Mechazilla vs. Drone Ships: Complementary Systems

The Role of Mechazilla

At fixed launch facilities like Starbase and Cape Canaveral, SpaceX is employing the Mechazilla tower system to “catch” returning boosters and Starships. These robotic arms eliminate the need for landing legs and allow precise vertical recovery—ideal for rapid refurbishment.

Drone Ships as the Flexible Counterpart

Drone ships fill in where Mechazilla can’t go—across oceans, remote trajectories, and extended missions. The two systems are not competitors but collaborators. While Mechazilla enables high-frequency operations at home, drone ships extend Starship’s operational range globally.

Engineering Starship for Drone Ship Recovery

The Need for Landing Legs

Unlike Mechazilla-assisted landings, drone ship landings require physical legs to support the vehicle’s weight. For Starship, this introduces new engineering challenges:

Weight optimization
Leg deployment reliability
Stability on rolling sea platforms

However, these challenges are also opportunities. Landing legs will be essential for future Mars and Moon landings, so developing them now for drone ships means dual-use innovation.

Horizontal Delivery System

One method mentioned in FAA documents is horizontal Starship delivery. After landing vertically, Starship would be gently rotated into a horizontal position for safe ocean transport. This reduces wind resistance, lowers structural stress, and makes sea transport more feasible.

International Waters, Diplomatic Hurdles

Operating drone ships in international waters or foreign Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) introduces legal complexities. SpaceX must coordinate with foreign governments to secure landing rights.

So far, they’ve landed Falcon 9 boosters near:

The Bahamas
Australia (possible future collaborations)
Potential South American zones

With a larger operational radius, Starship recovery may require new international agreements, especially for strategic points in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Time-to-Recovery and Turnaround Considerations

Longer Recovery Times

Drone ships can’t teleport back to base. Recovering a landed Starship from the Indian Ocean could take days or even a week, affecting refurbishment cycles and reducing launch cadence.

Mitigating Delays with Logistics Optimization

SpaceX is expected to offset these delays by:

Streamlining ship handling
Using faster transport vessels
Deploying multiple drone ships in different regions for overlapping coverage

Building the Next Generation of Drone Ships

Bigger, Stronger, Smarter

Starship is twice the height and several times the mass of Falcon 9. Its Raptor engines produce immense thrust, demanding:

Larger drone ships
Reinforced landing pads
Advanced stabilization systems

These new vessels must also support multiple landings before returning to port, reducing downtime between missions.

Construction Already Underway

SpaceX is reportedly building or modifying drone ships that are:

Structurally upgraded for Starship’s weight
Fitted with advanced sensors and AI-guided stabilization
Outfitted with modular infrastructure for flexibility across mission types

The Chinese Net-Catching Concept: Innovation or Imitation?

Interestingly, China’s aerospace sector is experimenting with net-catching systems to recover rockets. This system uses:

Two-layer nets supported by steel columns
Engine burn-through upper net, catch on lower net

Technical and Operational Hurdles

While creative, net systems face challenges:

Heat and engine plume resistance
Net material degradation
Precise descent navigation
Difficulty scaling to large rockets like Starship

Compared to SpaceX’s drone ship + Mechazilla combo, China’s system is unproven and likely limited to smaller rockets and land-only recoveries.

Falcon 9 Sets the Stage for Starship’s Future

On July 2, 2025, Falcon 9’s B1067 booster successfully completed its 29th landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, setting a new record. This marked:

The first 29th flight and landing of an orbital-class rocket
The 500th Falcon 9 mission overall
A testament to SpaceX’s mastery of reusability

With launch cadences expected to exceed 170 missions in 2025, this momentum provides the operational backbone for scaling up Starship.

When Will Starship Land on a Drone Ship?

Likely Timeline

Based on FAA proposals and current infrastructure:

Mechazilla landings will continue in 2025 as SpaceX refines control and re-entry
First drone ship Starship landing expected by mid to late 2026
Full operational integration likely by 2027 and beyond

Infrastructure Still Developing

Starbase Pad B is being built
LC-39A Mechazilla tower nearing completion
LC-37 slated for a massive new Starship platform
Gigabays (Starship factories) expanding at multiple locations

Once these assets are in place, Starship’s global reusability strategy will come online.

Conclusion: The Future Is Floating

SpaceX is not just building rockets; it’s building a global infrastructure for routine space travel. The plan to land Starship on drone ships using legs is not just technically feasible—it’s necessary.

By marrying the precision of Mechazilla with the flexibility of drone ship recovery, SpaceX is laying the foundation for:

Affordable, high-frequency launches
Interplanetary missions to the Moon and Mars
A space economy accessible to more players

The skies — and oceans — are ready for this revolution. And with FAA’s recent disclosures, the public now has a clearer view of the path ahead.

FAQs

1. What is SpaceX’s plan for landing Starship on drone ships?

SpaceX plans to recover Starship boosters on floating drone ships equipped with deployable landing legs, enabling safe vertical landings at sea.

2. Why use drone ships for Starship landings instead of just land-based pads?

Drone ships provide recovery flexibility, reduce fuel reserves needed for return, and allow safer landings away from populated areas.

3. How is landing Starship on a drone ship different from Falcon 9 landings?

Starship is much larger and heavier, requiring more robust legs and drone ships, plus advanced stabilization to handle the increased size and weight.

4. What are the advantages of landing Starship on drone ships?

Advantages include global recovery options, improved payload capacity due to fuel savings, and safer recovery in ocean areas.

5. What challenges does SpaceX face in landing Starship on drone ships?

Challenges include engineering deployable legs that can support Starship’s weight, ensuring stability on rolling seas, and rapid recovery logistics.

6. What is Mechazilla and how does it relate to drone ship landings?

Mechazilla is a giant robotic tower designed to catch Starship on land pads, complementing drone ship recoveries for flexible and frequent reuse.

7. How many Starship launches are planned annually according to FAA filings?

FAA filings propose up to 145 Starship launches annually across multiple launch sites including Florida and Texas.

8. Where will Starship drone ships operate?

Drone ships will operate in strategic locations including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans to cover various mission trajectories.

9. How will SpaceX transport Starship after landing on a drone ship?

After landing, Starship will be rotated horizontally on the drone ship to facilitate safer sea transport back to port.

10. Why is landing with legs preferable to splashdown in water?

Landing legs allow Starship to touch down vertically on a stable platform, avoiding corrosion and damage from seawater that occurs with splashdowns.

11. Are drone ship landings necessary for missions beyond Earth orbit?

Yes, drone ship recoveries enable flexible mission profiles and are essential for extended range missions like Moon or Mars flights.

12. How does SpaceX plan to handle drone ship logistics for recovery and turnaround?

SpaceX will use multiple drone ships, faster transport vessels, and optimized port operations to reduce recovery times and support high launch cadence.

13. What is the timeline for Starship’s first drone ship landing?

The first drone ship landing of Starship is anticipated around mid to late 2026, following further tests with Mechazilla.

14. How does China’s rocket net-catching system compare to SpaceX’s method?

China’s net-catching system is experimental and suited for smaller rockets, while SpaceX uses robust drone ships and Mechazilla designed for large, heavy vehicles.

15. Why is the Falcon 9 landing record important for Starship’s future?

Falcon 9’s proven reusability and frequent drone ship recoveries validate the technology and operational model SpaceX will scale for Starship.