Elon Musk-owned SpaceX suffered yet another setback on Thursday after its Starship rocket exploded mid-air just minutes after it was launched from Texas. This is the second time this year a SpaceX Starship has exploded during launch.
The Starship rocket lifted off at about 6:30 pm local time from SpaceX's sprawling Boca Chica, Texas, rocket facilities. The Super Heavy first-stage booster flew back to Earth as planned and was successfully grabbed in midair by a SpaceX crane.
But minutes later, SpaceX's live stream showed the Starship upper stage spinning in space, while a visualisation of the rocket's engines showed multiple engines shutting down. Then the company said it had lost contact with the ship, and announcers immediately drew a connection to the previous flight.
"Unfortunately, this happened last time too, so we've got some practice now," SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said on the live stream.
Dramatic footage circulating online captured red-hot debris raining down over the Bahamas.
Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly activated a "debris response area," delaying flights from airports stretching from Newark and Philadelphia to Miami.
The agency confirmed SpaceX will be required to conduct a mishap investigation before it can fly again.
It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was caused by SpaceX's automated flight termination system, which triggers when something on the rocket goes wrong. The ship showed signs of failure before its explosion.
"During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," SpaceX said in a statement. "Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses."
In January too, a Starship¡ªthe world's largest and most powerful rocket¡ªhad exploded during launch, after which the FAA had grounded it.
Last Friday, the agency allowed SpaceX to proceed with this latest test before finalising its investigation into that mishap.
Musk, who leads Trump's DOGE, which aims to cut government spending and regulations, had been at odds with the FAA and several other agencies that are investigating his companies.
In the past, Musk has accused the FAA of over-regulating SpaceX over safety and environmental concerns.
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