A Falcon 9 rocket was spotted off the coast of Christmas Island after touching down in the Indian Ocean on 24 July, following a test flight from Texas.
Local tourism chief David Watchorn first mistook the unfamiliar vessel for a typical sea craft, before realizing it was the 52‑metre‑long rocket being towed in a commercial vessel.
Residents, some even leaving work to catch a glimpse, have reported ferrying their boats to the shadowed launchpad to inspect the rocket’s battered debris and intact design elements.
Watchorn described the sight as "absolutely incredible," adding that the more the rocket is inspected the more fascinating it becomes, underscoring the global reach of SpaceX’s testing programme.
