Additional Coverage:
- SpaceX Starship 8 explodes mid-air less than 10 minutes after launch after losing contact (themirror.com)
SpaceX’s Starship rocket met a fiery end Thursday, exploding mid-flight after a promising launch from its Texas Starbase. While the initial launch appeared successful, with the Super Heavy booster even completing its third successful capture, the spacecraft began spiraling out of control roughly 20 seconds before the end of its ascent. SpaceX officially termed the incident a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”
The dramatic explosion, witnessed live by over a million online viewers, occurred over the Atlantic Ocean, scattering debris and prompting a temporary halt in flights at several Florida airports. The rocket, intended for an Indian Ocean splashdown, disintegrated well before deploying its test satellites, which was scheduled to occur 17 minutes into the flight.
Despite the setback, SpaceX remains optimistic. In a statement, the company confirmed they are reviewing the data to determine the cause of the failure and emphasized their commitment to learning from each test to improve Starship’s reliability.
This incident follows a successful recovery of the Super Heavy booster, marking its third successful return to the launchpad. The next planned launch, originally scheduled for Monday, has been postponed.