A SpaceX Starship spacecraft, the upper stage of the most powerful launch system ever built, exploded during its eighth test flight on Thursday. The incident disrupted air traffic and marked the second consecutive failure for the vehicle this year.
The uncrewed mission lifted off at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas. Starship was propelled into the sky by a 232-foot-tall (71-meter-tall) Super Heavy rocket booster.
Approximately two and a half minutes into the flight, the Super Heavy booster successfully separated from the Starship upper stage. The booster then executed a controlled descent, landing within the “chopstick” arms of “Mechazilla,” SpaceX’s launch tower near Brownsville, Texas. This marked the third successful booster catch using this system.
However, less than ten minutes into the mission, Starship began experiencing issues as it continued its ascent toward space. Several engines failed mid-flight, causing the vehicle to tumble. SpaceX ultimately lost contact with the spacecraft.
This failure occurred at roughly the same stage as the previous Starship test in January. During that flight, the vehicle exploded over the Turks and Caicos Islands, scattering debris over populated areas.
Reports from Florida and the Caribbean indicated that the explosion was visible from those regions. The exact location where Starship broke apart during Thursday’s mission has yet to be confirmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights into major Florida airports, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando, due to concerns over falling debris. Flight operations resumed by 8 p.m. ET, but departing flights from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport experienced average delays of 30 to 45 minutes.
Judy Burgett, a resident of Marathon, Florida, captured footage showing Starship’s fireball breaking apart as it traveled eastward.
SpaceX later provided an update, confirming that the vehicle lost multiple Raptor engines before the end of its ascent burn, leading to a loss of control and communication. Final contact with Starship occurred approximately nine minutes and thirty seconds after launch.
The company reassured the public that the vehicle remained within a designated launch corridor. “Any surviving debris would have fallen within the pre-planned Debris Response Area,” SpaceX stated. “There are no toxic materials in the debris, and no significant impact on marine species or water quality is expected.” The company urged anyone who encounters debris to report it to local authorities or the SpaceX Debris Hotline.
Following the failure, the FAA announced that SpaceX must conduct a mishap investigation to determine the cause of the incident and implement corrective actions. “A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again,” the FAA stated. The agency will oversee SpaceX’s investigation and must approve the final report before Starship can return to flight.