SpaceX’s recent test flight of its Starship rocket faced another setback when it lost communication minutes after launch. The rocket ignited in Texas but began to descend uncontrollably over Florida, resulting in debris falling from the sky, although it remains unclear if the spacecraft’s self-destruct feature was activated.
The test was meant to demonstrate controlled flight over the Indian Ocean; however, contact was lost in under ten minutes after the vehicle entered an erratic spin, reaching an altitude of nearly 150 km before the complications arose. The aim was to deploy four mock satellites, similar in design to the Starlink satellites already orbiting Earth, which were to drop back shortly after their brief ascent.
The launch had echoes of a previous incident that occurred nearly two months earlier when another explosion occurred, sending flaming debris onto the Turks and Caicos. As a precaution, Orlando International Airport temporarily halted flights due to the debris from SpaceX’s latest flight, while images of flaming wreckage appeared from across the region, including near Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX later reported that the rocket experienced “a rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its ascent, leading to safety notifications. SpaceX commentator Dan Huot acknowledged the familiar frustrations of having a similar mishap occur again.
NASA has plans to use the Starship for moonlight landings in the coming decade, and SpaceX aims for the rocket to one day facilitate missions to Mars. Following earlier failures, the design and systems of the Starship, which stands at an impressive 123 metres tall, were recently overhauled in anticipation of showcasing its recovery capabilities akin to that of the launch booster.
No injuries or significant damage were reported in these accidents, with the previous investigation indicating that fuel leaks led to fire incidents that halted engine function, triggering an intentional self-destruct. Improvements have been made since the last flight, and the Federal Aviation Administration has once again granted permission for upcoming launches.
For now, SpaceX continues its operations from its facilities near the Mexican border and is also actively working on a new launch complex at Cape Canaveral to support its smaller Falcon rockets used for human and satellite transport.