SpaceX's seventh test flight of its Starship canopy rocket ended with an accidental fireworks display: the rocket exploded over the Atlantic Ocean. This creates a stream of falling debris that travels through the Earth's atmosphere.
It is not yet clear what caused the explosion. But the incident was captured on video by people on the ground. and forced the plane to change course to avoid superheated rocket fragments falling down.
The spacecraft launched from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas at 4:37 p.m. local time on Thursday. Mechazilla Magic Company manage to catch Starship's massive (233 feet or 71 meters) Super Heavy Booster rocket is SpaceX's goal to make spaceflight a more cost-effective and sustainable endeavor.
SpaceX lost telemetry with the vehicle before the burn-in process was complete. This happened about 8.5 minutes into the flight. “Preliminary information indicates that the fire occurred in the stern of the ship. This led to a rapid, unscheduled separation,” according to a SpaceX release.
In other words The top of the rocket exploded dramatically while in flight. The images of the explosion and aftermath seemed straight out of science fiction. A bright streak of orange-yellow light streaked across the sky like many alien spaceships could. Ground observers in Turks and Caicos and passengers on a cruise ship in the Caribbean captured the dramatic event.
This is the exact time Ship 33 experienced RUD. https://t.co/in2nZBWNV8 pic.twitter.com/iI7DtLiZlE
— Felix Spacetime (@Space_Time3) January 16, 2025
But the end of the rocket isn't just a light show. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that “It slowed down and redirected the plane around. Spacecraft Debris Area” by the remains of the Starship spacecraft creates a “dangerous area for falling spacecraft debris”. Flight radar trackers revealed a number of aircraft facing east of Turks and Cairo. Caicos at the time of the explosion
CNBC Reported that the FAA has not received any reports of injuries or property damage This is despite flights being delayed and having to reroute as a result of the explosion. American Airlines told CNBC it has rerouted fewer than 10 flights, while Delta has rerouted four flights, according to the flight tracking website. At least one cargo plane reversed course and one Spirit Airlines flight changed course. This chaos is understandable. No one wants planes to fly over rocket debris.
— Andres (@_thatonedolphin) January 17, 2025
“The Enterprise flies within a designated launch corridor. Just like the launch of a US spacecraft. All is done to protect the public on the ground, on the water and in the air,” SpaceX’s release said, adding, “Any surviving debris will fall into the designated danger area.”
On Musk's social media platform X, the billionaire stated: “Initial indications are that we have an oxygen/fuel leak in the compartment above the firewall of the ship's engine that is large enough to pressurize beyond the vent capacity,” Musk said, adding that there was nothing specific about how Flight 7 launched. It is suggested that the next Starship launch will be delayed after February.
On ground, Starship's seventh flight was a success. The Mechazilla tower's chopstick-like arms successfully captured and held the Super Heavy rocket out of the air. Skyward Flight 7 failed. That's what you call it when your rocket explodes and causes metal to fall onto you. Earth, but SpaceX will move forward “Success comes from what we learn. And this flight test will help us improve Starship's reliability as SpaceX strives to create multiplanetary life,” the company said in a statement.
related Australian airline Qantas has had to delay several flights between Australia and South Africa in recent weeks. Because there are warnings about space debris that may occur from SpaceX launches due to Reported In the Guardian
This latest incident could lead to a protracted FAA investigation. We've seen it before: Last year, SpaceX had to do more. Lots of corrective actions This follows an FAA investigation into the flight of its second spacecraft in November 2023, among other investigations. that was prompted by a faulty test
The company is undoubtedly making progress when it comes to flying reusable rockets. Starship is a solid spacecraft. This can be seen from NASA investing in Starship for the Artemis program to put humans back on the moon.
But SpaceX has It's just right. The initial goal is to get humans to Mars in 2022 and fly a handful of billionaires and artists around the moon (2023). As Inverse reports, 2025 is the earliest Elon Musk has previously stated he could. Build a colony on Mars They settled on a dry, cold, and dusty world by the end of the decade. The clock is ticking, sir… musk