Space X’s seventh Starship test flight was ‘destroyed’ less than ten minutes after its launch, as Elon Musk continues his quest to reach Mars.
Elon Musk’s latest attempt to advance life on Mars materialized through an uncrewed test flight that followed the explosion of his sixth test flight within ten minutes of liftoff.
The new-generation spacecraft took off from Texas and completed an approximately eight-minute flight, including a sensational second booster catch, before losing contact.
Officials confirmed that the spacecraft was destroyed.
SpaceX reported, ‘Starship encountered a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,’ promising further analysis of the flight data to pinpoint the cause.
‘With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.’
Debris, with unclear relations to the spacecraft, was captured on camera flying across the Caribbean just minutes after the flight test.
‘Every Starship launch is one more step closer towards Mars,’ Musk said before liftoff, as he hopes his ships will be the first to launch humanity into life on Mars.
SpaceX posted on X that today’s test flight featured ‘significant upgrades.’
The new-generation SpaceX ship launched from Texas on Thursday and successfully flew for around eight minutes, with the teams’ second breathtaking booster catch, before contact was lost
The new Starship was rolled out taller – now standing at 403 feet – and with about 300 more tons of propellant than the last test flight ship, with added upgrades for ‘reliability and performance’
‘Every Starship launch is one more step closer towards Mars,’ Musk said before liftoff, as he hopes his ships will be the first to launch humanity into life on Mars
Debris, with unclear relations to the spacecraft, was captured on camera flying across the Caribbean just minutes after the flight test
The new Starship was rolled out taller – now standing at 403 feet – and with about 300 more tons of propellant than the last test flight ship, with added upgrades for ‘reliability and performance.’
SpaceX announced there would be ‘hardware upgrades to the launch and catch tower to increase reliability for booster catch,’ including enhancements to sensor protections on the chopsticks damaged during the last launch.
As well as a redesigned upper-stage propulsion system that can carry 25 percent more propellant, along with slimmer, repositioned forward flaps to reduce exposure to heat during reentry.
The company also added ten dummy satellites, the same size as SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, for release in space. They were due to follow the same flight path as the spacecraft, ending up destroyed upon entry.
The post added that the flight ‘set out to attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster.’
‘Today’s flight test will launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades, attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster.’
SpaceX’s last successful launch happened in October on its fifth flight test. The sixth, which was witnessed by President-elect Donald Trump in November, made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The test flight launched just after 5.30 EST in Texas across the Gulf of Mexico.
Around six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned and was successfully caught by the launch tower for SpaceX’s second time
While Stage 1 was successful, contact with the ship was reported to be lost just after the eight-and-a-half-minute mark
‘With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability,’ SpaceX posted on X
Just around 3 minutes into the flight, the Super Heavy booster successfully detached and performed a flip maneuver, making its way back to the launchpad.
Around six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned and was successfully caught by the launch tower for SpaceX’s second time.
‘Even in this day and age, what we just saw is magic,’ Dan Huot observed from close to the launch site after the booster touched down. ‘I am shaking right now.’
‘The tower has caught the rocket!!’ SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via X as the spacecraft made the dramatic touchdown.
While Stage 1 was successful, contact with the ship was reported to be lost just after the eight-and-a-half-minute mark.
Just after the twenty-minute mark, it was confirmed that the ship was lost.
Hours earlier, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin – launched their newest rocket, New Glenn, in Florida. The rocket reached orbit on its first flight, successfully placing an experimental satellite thousands of miles above Earth.
However, the booster was destroyed and missed its targeted landing on a floating platform in the Atlantic.
