For the second time in a row, SpaceX lost the second stage of its Starship launch system during a flight test, while recovering the first-stage Super Heavy booster.
Today’s eighth Starship flight test came a month and a half after a similarly less-than-perfect mission that sparked an investigation.
“The primary reason we do these flight tests is to learn,” SpaceX launch commentator Dan Huot said. “We have some more to learn about this vehicle.”
The 403-foot-tall rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase in South Texas at 5:30 p.m. CT, and the flight appeared to proceed normally through stage separation. The booster flew itself back to the launch tower and was captured by two massive chopstick-style mechanical arms.
Meanwhile, the Starship second stage, known as Ship 34, continued spaceward. But telemetry indicated that its six engines started going out about eight minutes into the flight, toward the end of their scheduled burn. An onboard camera showed the stage tumbling for about a minute, and then the signal was lost.
“I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not going to continue the rest of the mission today,” Huot said. Videos shared on social media showed Ship 34 tumbling over Florida, and a bright hail of debris streaking over the Bahamas.
“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,” SpaceX said in a posting to X / Twitter. “We will review the data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability.”
The mishap caused flight delays at Florida airports, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a statement, the FAA acknowledged that it briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where debris was falling, or stopped aircraft at their departure location. "Normal operations have resumed," the FAA said.
The FAA also said it would require SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the second stage. The agency would have to approve SpaceX's final report on the mishap, including any corrective actions. Starship's return to flight will be based on the FAA determining that the resumption of operations will not affect public safety.
That process follows the pattern set in the aftermath of the previous Starship flight test on Jan. 16. During that earlier mission, the Super Heavy flew itself back to Starbase for a successful catch, but the second stage broke apart after its engines erupted in flames. Debris from the breakup fell in the Caribbean.
A SpaceX investigation overseen by the FAA determined that the vibrations generated during the ascent put higher-than-expected stress on the second stage’s hardware. SpaceX said that probably caused propellant leaks that exceeded the second stage’s venting capability, leading to sustained fires.
To address the issue, SpaceX beefed up Starship’s purging system and made other changes to hardware and operating procedures. On Feb. 28, the FAA gave the go-ahead for today’s launch while saying that the mishap investigation would remain open.
Today’s flight plan was similar to the plan for January’s flight. One of the objectives was to execute the first-ever deployment of payloads — four mockups of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband internet constellation. SpaceX also aimed to test changes to the rocket’s control flaps and thermal protection system, and relight one of the ship’s engines in space.
If the mission had proceeded as planned, Ship 34 would have made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean about an hour after liftoff.
Starship is considered the world’s most powerful rocket, with liftoff thrust of 16.7 million pounds. If and when Starship enters commercial operations, the launch system could deploy scores of next-generation Starlink satellites during a single mission, heralding a significant upgrade in communications capacity. Looking even further ahead, SpaceX aims to send people to the moon and Mars on Starships.
But before all that can happen, SpaceX will have to demonstrate that the Super Heavy booster and the Starship second stage are fully reusable and capable of delivering the goods safely to orbit.