SpaceX’s eighth test flight of its Starship spacecraft concluded abruptly on Thursday when the company lost contact with the vehicle, which subsequently underwent what SpaceX termed a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” The incident occurred approximately nine minutes after the massive rocket lifted off from its launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. EST.
In a statement posted on X, SpaceX confirmed that the spacecraft experienced this unexpected disintegration during its ascent. The company quickly initiated pre-planned contingency measures and began coordinating with safety officials to address the situation. “We will review the data from today’s flight test to better understand what happened,” SpaceX noted, emphasizing its commitment to learning from the event.
This marks the second consecutive Starship test flight to end in failure, following a similar explosion during the vehicle’s previous test in January. In that instance, the spacecraft also suffered a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” scattering debris across the Caribbean and prompting concerns among residents of Turks and Caicos. Thursday’s launch had initially shown promise, with the Super Heavy booster successfully separating and returning to its launch tower, where it was caught midair by mechanical arms known as “chopsticks.” However, the upper Starship stage faltered shortly thereafter.
The Starship system, standing nearly 400 feet tall, is designed to be the world’s most powerful rocket, intended to carry astronauts to the moon and Mars as part of SpaceX’s ambitious plans with NASA and founder Elon Musk’s vision for interplanetary travel. Despite the setbacks, SpaceX has described these tests as critical steps in refining the spacecraft’s design. The company highlighted that it had made improvements to the Starship’s upper stage following the January mishap, though those changes were insufficient to prevent Thursday’s outcome.
Video footage circulating on social media captured the dramatic moment of the explosion, with debris lighting up the sky in a display reminiscent of a meteor shower. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees commercial spaceflight safety, acknowledged the anomaly and stated it would investigate to determine the cause and ensure public safety before approving future launches.
SpaceX’s iterative approach to development—launching, testing, and learning from failures—has been a hallmark of its progress with Starship. While the booster’s successful catch was a highlight, the loss of the spacecraft underscores the challenges ahead. Musk, who has set a goal of conducting up to 25 Starship launches in 2025, has yet to see the vehicle reach orbit across its eight test flights. Nevertheless, SpaceX remains focused on accelerating its testing cadence to achieve rapid reusability and advance its lunar and Martian objectives.
