SpaceX's Starship spacecraft destroyed in mega rocket launch

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft destroyed in mega rocket launch

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft destroyed in mega rocket launch

SpaceX conducted the seventh test flight of its Super Heavy-Starship rocket on Thursday, achieving a successful recovery of the booster but losing the Starship upper stage, which broke apart as it approached space. Falling debris from the Starship temporarily disrupted airline operations near Miami, Florida, as federal officials diverted flights for safety.

Telemetry data from Starship ceased 8 minutes and 27 seconds after launch due to unexpected engine shutdowns or malfunctions. SpaceX later confirmed the loss of the upper stage on its X platform, stating:

"Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will help us improve Starship's reliability."

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested a preliminary cause on X: "Indications show an oxygen/fuel leak above the engine firewall caused excessive pressure. We'll double-check for leaks, add fire suppression, and increase vent capacity."

In a statement, SpaceX revealed that "a fire in the aft section of the ship caused a rapid unscheduled disassembly, with debris falling into designated hazard zones in the Atlantic Ocean." Video footage later confirmed debris fell near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that airline operations at Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports were delayed by up to an hour due to the incident. After assessing the situation, normal operations resumed. The FAA continues its investigation of the event.

The Super Heavy booster performed successfully, launching from Boca Chica, Texas, at 5:37 p.m. ET. With 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines generating 16 million pounds of thrust, the rocket lifted off smoothly, consuming 40,000 pounds of propellant per second. After separating from the Starship upper stage, the booster executed a controlled return to the launch site, where it was caught mid-air by mechanical arms, marking another step in SpaceX's reusable rocket ambitions.

The Starship upper stage, designed to conduct tests and deploy dummy Starlink satellites, experienced an anomaly before reaching orbit. The flight marked the debut of SpaceX’s "new generation" Starship, featuring upgrades such as smaller stabilizing fins, improved avionics, redesigned fuel lines, and a 25% increase in propellant capacity. The spacecraft also carried advanced heat shield technology and additional cameras to monitor critical systems.

The test flight is part of SpaceX’s broader goal of developing fully reusable spacecraft for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA has contracted SpaceX to create a variant of Starship for lunar landings under the Artemis program, targeting a crewed mission in 2027.

For lunar missions, Starship must first reach low-Earth orbit and refuel using multiple tanker Starships before proceeding to the moon. NASA’s Artemis astronauts will rendezvous with Starship in lunar orbit for their descent to the surface.

Despite Thursday’s setback, SpaceX remains focused on refining the Starship system and advancing its mission to make human space exploration more cost-effective and sustainable..