WASHINGTON — SpaceX is in talks with US and Australian officials to land and recover one of its Starship rockets off Australia's coast, a possible first step toward a bigger presence for Elon Musk's company in the region as the two countries bolster security ties, according to three people familiar with the plans.

Since a Starship rocket made a controlled splashdown for the first time in June in the Indian Ocean, SpaceX has been eager to expand its testing campaign.

Successful landings and recovery of the boosters afterwards are important elements of the speedy development of the giant and reusable rocket designed to launch satellites to orbit and land astronauts on the moon.

The plan would be to launch Starship from a SpaceX facility in Texas, land it in the sea off Australia's coast and recover it on Australian territory.

Getting permission to do so would require loosening US export controls on sophisticated space technologies bound for Australia, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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