SpaceX Starship Destroyed in 7th Test Flight; Elon Musk Reacts: Watch Video
SpaceX’s Starship rocket was destroyed during its seventh test flight on Thursday, marking another setback for the ambitious space company. The launch, which took place at the company’s Boca Chica, Texas, facilities, ended in failure despite an exciting attempt to catch the rocket’s booster back at the pad.
The Starship rocket lifted off at 5:38 pm EST, carrying out SpaceX’s first test flight of the year. The rocket soared into the sky from the company’s Boca Chica site, aiming to complete a loop across the Gulf of Mexico. The mission included a payload of 10 dummy satellites for practice in satellite deployment.
However, the launch quickly took a turn when SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft about eight minutes into the flight after it separated from its Super Heavy first stage booster.
Despite the loss of communication, SpaceX succeeded in a key aspect of the flight: the booster was caught back at the pad using SpaceX’s giant mechanical arms, nicknamed “chopsticks.” The booster hovered briefly over the launch pad before being gripped by the mechanical arms—a spectacle that had previously faced setbacks in past missions.
Loss of the Starship
The spacecraft, which was designed to perform a near-orbit loop around the world, was supposed to complete its journey across the Gulf of Mexico, deploying the dummy satellites along the way.
However, SpaceX’s mission control team lost contact with the spacecraft just over eight minutes into the flight. Communications manager Dan Huot confirmed that the anomaly occurred with the upper stage of the rocket.
Minutes after the announcement, Huot confirmed that the Starship was lost due to a problem with the upper stage. This anomaly marked the end of the mission, and videos showing the debris of the destroyed spacecraft started circulating on social media.
Elon Musk’s Reaction
In typical fashion, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to social media following the destruction of the Starship, sharing a video of the falling debris. Musk humorously commented that “entertainment is guaranteed” with such test flights, acknowledging the risks and challenges inherent in developing a spacecraft of this scale.
Watch Video
Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!
pic.twitter.com/nn3PiP8XwG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025
Why Starship Failed
The failure of the flight was attributed to an issue with the upper stage, which was separated from the Super Heavy booster during ascent. The Starship was intended to carry out a test mission similar to previous flights but with the added task of deploying the dummy satellites.
It was also the first flight of an upgraded Starship, following significant improvements in the spacecraft’s design.
The failure was reminiscent of the second test mission, which also ended in the rocket breaking apart during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere in March of the previous year. However, this time the failure occurred much earlier in the mission, preventing the rocket from completing its planned loop around the globe.
SpaceX’s Upgrades and Previous Failures
SpaceX had made several upgrades to the system in preparation for the latest test. For example, the catch tower used to grab the booster had been reinforced after a November launch, where the robotic arms suffered damage.
Despite that previous setback, the booster catch was successful this time, with no issues reported with the mechanical arms.
The test satellites, which were the same size as SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, were intended to be deployed into the Indian Ocean at the mission’s conclusion. However, as the spacecraft was lost early on, the satellites never made it to their intended destination.
Starship’s Future
Elon Musk’s long-term goal for Starship is to launch Starlink satellites into orbit, with future plans to carry out crewed missions. The Starship is also integral to NASA’s Artemis program, with the agency reserving two Starship missions to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade.
