SpaceX's Starship program, its ambitious attempt at reusable spacecraft technology, suffered yet another severe blow on Thursday when the huge rocket lost control and disintegrated just minutes after entering space.
The upper-stage vehicle started spinning out of control before communication was lost, with debris being sighted plummeting over Florida and the Bahamas.
This marks Starship's eighth test flight and the second consecutive failure in just two months. The mission aimed to deploy four dummy satellites and test re-entry maneuvers, but instead ended in disaster.
"I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not going to continue the rest of the mission today," SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot said during the company's live webcast.
What Went Wrong?
The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket took off from Boca Chica, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Early stages were successful—stage separation was achieved, and the Super Heavy booster performed a controlled return, landing safely with the help of SpaceX's robotic arms.
However, just minutes later, the upper-stage Starship encountered serious issues. Live footage showed it spinning as multiple engines shut down before communication was lost. Soon after, debris lit up the sky, mirroring the January test flight failure, which ended in an explosion over the Caribbean.
Huot acknowledged the pattern of failures, stating, "Unfortunately, this happened last time too, so we’ve got some practice now."
Early reports indicate the top stage lost attitude control—i.e., it could not orient itself correctly. This is the same type of failure as January's, in which fires caused by leaking propellant destroyed the engines.
What's Next for SpaceX?
After January's failure, SpaceX made extensive changes, including:
- Fuel system improvements
- More ventilation to avoid fires
The malfunction also had actual-world implications—Miami airports, Fort Lauderdale airports, Palm Beach airports, and Orlando airports were temporarily closed due to fears of falling debris.
NASA's Moon Mission at Risk?
NASA has bet big on Starship's success, choosing it for the Artemis III mission, which will send astronauts to the Moon by 2027. But repeated failures risk jeopardizing this schedule.
Starship is the most powerful rocket ever constructed, intended for deep-space missions and future Mars travel. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has prioritized rapid iteration, urging frequent test flights to optimize the rocket's design.
There is some progress nonetheless—most obviously, the safe return of the booster to the launch pad. The upper-stage, however, still needs to demonstrate reliability.
The Road Ahead
SpaceX now has to perform a root-cause investigation before another test flight. Failure is inevitable during rocket development, but two sequential upper-stage blow-ups will attract added scrutiny from regulators and investors.
For now, Starship remains grounded—and its future depends on whether SpaceX can resolve these critical issues. With Musk and his engineers pushing forward, the biggest question is:
How many more failures can Starship endure before it finally succeeds?
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