Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship explodes after losing contact during test flight

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded shortly after launch on its eighth test flight, triggering airport closures and warnings about falling debris.

The un-crewed mission, which marked another milestone for SpaceX, suffered what the company described as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" during its ascent into space. Although no injuries were reported, fiery debris was observed falling over the Caribbean Sea, raising concerns in nearby regions.

Photo: Reuters

In response to the incident, flights at Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) were delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued temporary flight restrictions after the failure, with some departures at MIA being delayed due to falling debris. Greg Chin, Communications Director at MIA, confirmed the delays, saying, "Some flights at MIA are being delayed due to falling debris from the SpaceX launch over the Atlantic Ocean."

The FAA later activated a "Debris Response Area," which briefly slowed or halted aircraft departures in areas affected by the falling rocket parts. "Normal operations have resumed," the FAA said in its statement. This measure is put in place when space vehicle debris falls outside the identified hazard zones, allowing the FAA to safely guide aircraft away from the danger.

The 123-metre (403-foot) Starship was intended to complete a one-hour flight and re-enter Earth's orbit over the Indian Ocean.

However, the rocket lost contact with ground control shortly after launch. While the Super Heavy booster, which assists in liftoff, was able to return to the launch pad successfully, the spacecraft itself spiraled out of control, resulting in its catastrophic failure.

The spacecraft, which had reached an altitude of nearly 90 miles, failed to release its mock satellites as planned and fell back to Earth. The exact location of its descent remains unclear.

In response to the failure, SpaceX acknowledged the incident on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses."

Despite the setback, SpaceX successfully recovered the first-stage booster using mechanical arms at the launch pad. The company also stated that it would analyze the data from the failed test to determine the cause of the failure and improve the reliability of future Starship flights.

The Starship test flight was part of SpaceX's ongoing efforts to develop the next generation of spacecraft capable of supporting lunar and Martian missions. While this failure marks a significant setback, the company remains committed to continuing Starship tests, with plans to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade. SpaceX has been making continuous improvements to the rocket’s design, including modifications to its flaps, fuel system, and computer systems. The company recently received approval from the FAA for subsequent launches.

Photo: Reuters

This failed test flight is the second major failure for the Starship program. The previous test flight, which occurred nearly two months ago, also ended in failure when debris fell over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Following that incident, an investigation revealed that a leaking fuel system caused a fire that shut down the rocket's engines mid-flight.