SpaceX lost contact with its Starship rocket in space on Thursday during the company's eighth test mission, dooming a satellite deployment demonstration in the company's second consecutive Starship failure this year.

Summary

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded in space minutes after launching from Texas, marking the second consecutive failure this year.

The rocket spun uncontrollably before breaking apart, with debris seen over Florida and the Bahamas. The cause remains unclear, though multiple engines shut down before contact was lost.

The failure raises concerns about setbacks in Elon Musk’s Mars rocket program. The FAA temporarily halted flights at major Florida airports due to falling debris.

A similar Starship failure in January scattered wreckage over the Caribbean.

  • PennomiEnglish
    9•3 days ago

    Surely shutting down failed engines is part of the fire suppression plan, no?

      • PennomiEnglish
        1•2 days ago

        I’m sure they did. I doubt they had enough time to make the correct changes since the launch cadence is too high.