SpaceX’s Starship rocket experienced a catastrophic failure during its eighth test flight on March 6, resulting in an explosion approximately 10 minutes after liftoff from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas.
This incident marks the second consecutive failure for the Starship program this year.
The 403-foot-tall Starship lifted off at 6:30 p.m. EST, aiming to deploy four test satellites and achieve a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
While the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launchpad and was secured by SpaceX’s mechanical arms, the upper-stage Starship encountered issues. Several of its six Raptor engines failed toward the end of the ascent burn, leading to a loss of altitude control.
Approximately nine minutes into the flight, SpaceX lost contact with the vehicle, which subsequently exploded over the Atlantic Ocean.
The explosion prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue temporary ground stops at four major Florida airports—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando—due to concerns about falling debris.
Flights were held off Florida’s coast and over the Caribbean until the airspace was deemed safe.
Operations resumed approximately 50 minutes later.
This failure mirrors a similar incident in January, where the Starship exploded minutes into its flight, scattering debris over the Caribbean islands.
The FAA has initiated a mishap investigation into the latest failure, requiring SpaceX to identify the cause and implement corrective measures before further flights can proceed.
Despite these setbacks, SpaceX remains committed to advancing the Starship program, which is central to CEO Elon Musk’s vision of enabling human missions to the Moon and Mars.
Witnesses in regions like the Bahamas reported seeing fiery debris streaking across the sky, capturing videos that circulated widely on social media.
While some expressed concern over the recurring failures, others acknowledged the inherent risks associated with testing new spaceflight technologies.
SpaceX has stated that it will analyze data from this flight to enhance the vehicle’s reliability for future missions.
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability. We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests… pic.twitter.com/3ThPm0Yzky
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 7, 2025
The recent explosion underscores the challenges SpaceX faces in developing a fully reusable spacecraft capable of deep-space missions.
As investigations continue, the aerospace community and the public await further updates on the Starship program’s progress and the steps SpaceX will take to address these critical issues.