On Thursday, SpaceX conducted its seventh test flight of the colossal Super Heavy-Starship mega rocket. While the rocket’s first-stage booster was successfully captured on the launch stand, the next-generation Starship upper-stage vehicle disintegrated before reaching space.
Federal officials reported that debris from the disintegrated Starship briefly delayed air traffic over Miami, Florida.
What Happened During the Starship Flight?
Telemetry data from the Starship revealed unexpected engine shutdowns or malfunctions, which led to a communication loss 8 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff. SpaceX confirmed the incident in a statement on the social media platform X:
“Starship experienced a rapid unplanned disassembly during ascent burn. Teams will continue reviewing data from today’s flight test to better understand the root cause.”
SpaceX officials emphasized that the primary goal of test flights is to learn, stating, “Today’s flight will help improve Starship’s reliability.”
Debris Fell in the Caribbean, Causing Flight Delays
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that following the anomaly during the rocket launch, flight traffic at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was delayed for up to an hour.
The FAA’s statement noted: “We temporarily slowed and redirected flights in the area where spacecraft debris fell. Normal operations have resumed.”
Videos shared on social media showed debris from the Starship falling in the Turks and Caicos Islands region of the Caribbean.
Cockpit view of the Debris those fell over the Caribbean after SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft broke apart during a test flight.
SpaceX launched the seventh test flight of Starship that exploded north of the Dominican Republic.
🎥andres @_thatonedolphin#spacecraft https://t.co/9aTZWzFr4f pic.twitter.com/d8eRb6qGbB
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 17, 2025
Elon Musk’s Statement
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk addressed the failure, sharing an explanation on the X platform:
“Preliminary analysis suggests an oxygen/fuel leak above the engine bay firewall that exceeded venting capacity. In addition to double-checking for leaks, we’ll add fire suppression to this area and likely increase venting capacity.”
A SpaceX press release confirmed that initial findings indicated a fire had broken out in the aft section of the spacecraft, ultimately resulting in debris falling into the Atlantic Ocean.
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