SpaceX Spacecraft Destroyed? Here's What Happened At Today's Launch

SpaceX conducted the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket on Thursday, but the mission hit a setback as the company lost contact with the upper stage, which is now drifting in space. This poses a challenge to Elon Musk's ambitious goal of colonising Mars.

The live webcast of the launch abruptly stopped transmitting data from Starship around nine minutes after liftoff. SpaceX senior manager of quality systems engineering Kate Tice said, 'We can confirm that we did lose the ship.'

Ambitious Mars Mission Stumbles

SpaceX said in a post on X that the ship broke up during its ascent burn and would 'continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause.' In a later statement, the company said 'initial data indicates a fire developed' near the tail end of Starship and destroyed the vehicle.

In an X post, SpaceX confirmed that Starship disintegrated during the ascent phase due to a fire that erupted near the vehicle's base. 'Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,' the Musk-led astronautics company said.

'Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand the root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will help us improve Starship's reliability,' it added.

According to a subsequent SpaceX statement, preliminary data suggests a fire originated near the tail end of Starship, resulting in the catastrophic destruction of the vehicle.

Following the loss of communication, social media was flooded with posts featuring stunning yet concerning images and videos of fireballs streaking across the sky near the Caribbean islands. Given Starship's eastward trajectory from Texas, these fireballs are most likely debris from the rocket re-entering the Earth's atmosphere after breaking apart.

According to SpaceX, Starship debris impacted the Atlantic Ocean within the established safety boundaries, as planned and coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration beforehand.

Air Traffic Disrupted As FAA Issues Debris Warning

According to a notice, the FAA warned pilots about a 'dangerous area for falling debris of rocket Starship' from the Starship rocket. According to flight-tracking data from FlightAware, this prompted multiple flights, including those operated by JetBlue, Spirit, and FedEx, to divert their routes above the Caribbean.

'The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling. Normal operations have resumed,' the regulator said in a statement.

Standard air traffic control advisories were in effect as required for all rocket launches. However, the surge in space launches and commercial flights, particularly around Florida, intensifies competition for limited airspace.

The FAA is currently 'assessing' the edge case related to SpaceX's Starship flight. Following midflight failures, the FAA typically grounds rockets, requiring companies to thoroughly investigate the mishap and implement corrective actions before granting a new launch license.

The FAA has confirmed to CNBC that they have not received any reports of injuries or property damage resulting from the Starship debris.

Mixed Results For Starship Launch

Starship lifted from SpaceX's private Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas, shortly after 5:30 p.m. ET. A significant achievement was the successful landing of the mighty Super Heavy booster at the launch site, marking SpaceX's second successful booster recovery after a previous failed attempt.

While the Starship flight was uncrewed, SpaceX aimed to deploy 10 'Starlink simulators' during the mission, per NBC Philadelphia. This crucial test would have demonstrated the rocket's ability to deploy larger, heavier satellites, a critical step towards launching the next generation of SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation.

Before the communication loss, Starship was on track to reach space, circumnavigate half the globe, and then re-enter the atmosphere for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately one hour after liftoff.

Starship Flight 7 Features Major Upgrades

SpaceX highlighted the inclusion of 'significant upgrades' in today's test flight, emphasising a continued push for development. As with previous attempts, the company aimed to further refine Starship's capabilities through rigorous testing, including evaluations of the advanced heat shield tiles and the challenging reentry trajectory.

Starship, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built (403 ft tall, 30 ft diameter), utilises a 232 ft Super Heavy booster with 33 Raptor engines generating 16.7 million pounds of thrust – double the SLS rocket's thrust. Starship itself (171 ft) boasts six Raptor engines and relies on liquid oxygen and methane propellant. SpaceX has conducted six test flights since April 2023, steadily increasing the launch cadence.