The footage appears to capture debris in the sky following SpaceX’s Starship rocket which suffered a “rapid and unplanned disassembly” during its January 16 flight test. [Credit: Greg Munch /TMX]
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its final test flight Thursday, but the spacecraft was destroyed following a thrilling booster shot on the platform.
That of Elon Musk The company said Starship broke apart — what it called a “rapid and unplanned disassembly.” The spacecraft’s six engines appeared to shut down one by one during climb, with contact lost just 8 1/2 minutes into the flight.
The spacecraft — a new and improved model debuting — was supposed to fly over the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a near-loop around the world, similar to previous test flights. SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites to practice releasing them.
SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (AP Photo/Eric Gay/Associated Press)
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A minute before the loss, SpaceX used the launch tower’s giant mechanical arms to catch the returning booster, a feat achieved only once before. The descending booster hovered above the launch pad before being grabbed by the pair of arms nicknamed wands.
The thrill of capture quickly turned to disappointment not only for the company, but also for the crowds gathered along the southern tip of Texas.
“It was great to see a booster fall, but we are obviously disappointed with the ship,” said Dan Huot, a SpaceX spokesman. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle,” he stressed.
The latest data received from the spacecraft indicated an altitude of 90 miles (146 kilometers) and a speed of 13,245 mph (21,317 km/h).
SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket returns to the launch pad during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (AP Photo/Eric Gay/Associated Press)
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Musk said a preliminary analysis suggests a fuel leak may have built up pressure in a cavity above the engine’s firewall. Fire suppression will be added to the area, with increased ventilation and double checking for leaks, he said via X.
The 400-foot (123-meter) rocket took off late in the afternoon from Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border. The late hour ensured entry into broad daylight on the other side of the world, in the Indian Ocean. But the shiny, retro-looking spaceship never made it that far.
SpaceX had made improvements to the spacecraft for the latest demo and added a fleet of satellite models. The test satellites were the same size as SpaceX Starlink Internet satellites and, like the spaceship, were supposed to be destroyed upon entry.
Musk plans to launch actual Starlinks on spacecraft before moving on to other satellites and, eventually, crews.
SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket returns to the launch pad during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (AP Photo/Eric Gay/Associated Press)
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It was the seventh test flight of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket. NASA has reserved a pair of spacecraft to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade. Musk’s goal is Mars.
A few hours earlier, in Florida, the rocket company of another billionaire — that of Jeff Bezos Blue origin – launched the brand new oversized rocket, New Glenn. The rocket reached orbit on its first flight, successfully placing an experimental satellite thousands of miles above Earth. But the first stage booster was destroyed, missing its targeted landing on a floating platform in the Atlantic.
