Nearly two months after an explosion scattered flaming debris over the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another Starship rocket on Thursday. However, the test flight ended in failure as contact was lost just minutes after liftoff, and the spacecraft broke apart.
This time, debris from the explosion was seen falling over Florida. It remains unclear whether the spacecraft’s self-destruct system was activated to destroy it.
The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket took off from Texas, and SpaceX successfully recovered the first-stage booster using giant mechanical arms at the launch pad. However, issues arose with the upper-stage spacecraft as it moved eastward for what was intended to be a controlled descent over the Indian Ocean. Engines began shutting down mid-flight, leading to an out-of-control spin. Contact was lost less than ten minutes into the mission.
Starship managed to reach nearly 90 miles (150 kilometers) in altitude before the failure occurred. The flight was expected to last an hour, and four mock satellites were planned for deployment. It is unclear where the spacecraft ultimately came down, but flaming debris was seen over Florida, including near Cape Canaveral.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that SpaceX will need to investigate the failure. Following the incident, Orlando International Airport temporarily halted flights due to space debris in the area.
This test flight marks the eighth attempt at successfully launching Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket. NASA has contracted Starship for future moon missions, while SpaceX founder Elon Musk envisions the rocket as a key component of missions to Mars.
The spacecraft had undergone multiple design changes before the flight, including updates to its flaps, computers, and fuel system. The goal was to eventually achieve a full return-to-launch-site capability for the spacecraft, similar to how SpaceX lands its boosters.
During the previous test, SpaceX successfully caught the booster, but the spacecraft exploded minutes later over the Atlantic. Investigations revealed that a fuel leak triggered fires, leading to engine shutdowns and the activation of the self-destruct system. The company made improvements before this latest attempt, which had received FAA approval for launch.
Starship launches take place at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas, near the Mexican border. The company is also constructing a second launch complex at Cape Canaveral, where it currently operates Falcon rockets that carry astronauts and satellites into orbit.
