Starship Explodes Minutes After Launch
SpaceX’s Starship explodes in space on Thursday, minutes after lifting off from Texas. The failure prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily halt air traffic over parts of Florida. This marks the second consecutive failure this year for Elon Musk’s ambitious Mars rocket program.
Videos shared on social media captured fiery debris streaking across the skies near South Florida and the Bahamas. SpaceX’s live stream showed the Starship upper stage spinning uncontrollably before losing communication.
Back-to-Back Failures Raise Concerns
The latest Starship test failure comes just over a month after another ended in a similar explosion. These back-to-back mishaps occurred during early mission phases that SpaceX had previously overcome, marking a setback for the company’s rapid development goals.
The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket is a crucial part of Musk’s vision to transport humans to Mars by the early 2030s. However, continued failures may slow down SpaceX’s plans.
FAA Investigates as Flights Resume
The FAA briefly grounded flights at major Florida airports, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando, due to concerns over space launch debris. The agency later confirmed an investigation into the incident.
Starship lifted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, facility at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET (2330 GMT). The Super Heavy booster successfully returned to Earth and was caught midair by a SpaceX crane. However, the upper stage lost control and eventually broke apart.
SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot acknowledged the failure, stating, “Unfortunately, this happened last time too, so we’ve got some practice now.”
SpaceX Investigates the Cause of the Explosion
According to SpaceX, the explosion resulted from an “energetic event” in the Starship’s aft section, causing multiple engines to fail. This led to a loss of control and eventual communication failure, with final contact occurring about nine and a half minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX assured that the debris contained no toxic materials. In January, a similar Starship failure scattered debris over Caribbean islands, causing minor damage to a vehicle in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Before Starship can fly again, SpaceX must determine the cause of the failure and receive approval from the FAA. The agency had previously granted a launch license for Thursday’s flight despite its ongoing investigation into January’s mishap.
Starship’s intended mission was to complete nearly a full orbit of Earth before re-entering over the Indian Ocean. This would have simulated a landing sequence that SpaceX hopes to eventually carry out on solid ground.
With inputs from Reuters
