A SpaceX Starship spacecraft exploded midflight Thursday during its eighth test mission, disrupting Florida air traffic and marking the second consecutive failure for the vehicle this year.
The uncrewed mission launched at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The Starship spacecraft, the upper stage of the world’s most powerful launch system, rode atop the 232-foot-tall (71-meter-tall) Super Heavy rocket booster.
Following a successful stage separation after 2 ½ minutes of flight, the Super Heavy booster executed a landing maneuver using the “chopstick” arms of SpaceX’s launch tower near Brownsville, Texas. It marked the third successful booster recovery using this method.
However, less than 10 minutes into the mission, the Starship vehicle encountered problems as several engines visibly shut down. The spacecraft began tumbling before SpaceX lost contact with it.
“Once you lose enough of those center engines, you’re going to lose attitude control,” said SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot during the livestream. “At this point, we have lost contact with the ship.”
The failure occurred at approximately the same stage of flight as January’s Flight 7 mishap, which resulted in debris scattering over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Reports indicated that Thursday’s explosion was visible from parts of Florida and the Caribbean.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando airports, citing concerns over “falling space debris.” Flights from Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport were delayed by an average of 30 to 45 minutes.
Huot emphasized that SpaceX had pre-established safety measures to mitigate risks to the public. “We have a lot of measures in place before we ever launch a rocket to make sure that we’re keeping the public safe,” he stated.
SpaceX provided an update on the incident, stating that an “energetic event” in the aft portion of Starship resulted in the loss of multiple Raptor engines, leading to the vehicle’s loss of control and subsequent explosion.
“Final contact with Starship came approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff,” the company confirmed. SpaceX added that any debris would have fallen within a designated debris response area and posed no significant environmental risk.
The FAA has initiated a formal mishap investigation, requiring SpaceX to determine the root cause of the failure and propose corrective actions. “The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report,” the agency stated.
The FAA’s decision to approve Thursday’s launch before completing its investigation into January’s Flight 7 explosion has raised concerns over experimental rocket launches over populated areas.
Thursday’s failed launch came just seven weeks after Starship Flight 7 was prematurely terminated over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Debris from that explosion was later discovered on beaches and roadways, prompting a coordinated cleanup effort between SpaceX and local authorities.
The company previously cited a leak in the vehicle’s aft section near an oxygen tank as the cause of Flight 7’s failure. SpaceX has since implemented modifications, including additional fuel line protections, new vents, and a purge system to reduce fire risk.
Despite the ongoing failures, SpaceX continues to push forward with Starship’s rapid development. The company aims to refine the spacecraft’s heat shield, propulsion systems, and flight control mechanisms in preparation for future missions.
