SpaceX loses Starship on seventh test flight, but is able to catch launch vehicle

The 123-meter-long rocket named SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket ever built, consists of two stages: the Starship spacecraft itself and the Super Heavy booster. That launch vehicle returned intact to the launch pad and landed on a structure also called “giant chopsticks”. (Read more below the post)

Starship would fly to space and then travel halfway around Earth before re-entering the atmosphere and crashing into the Indian Ocean an hour after launch.

But nine minutes after launch, SpaceX confirmed it had lost Starship. Shortly afterwards, videos of burning debris in the skies over the Caribbean surfaced on social media, NBC News reported. SpaceX has not confirmed that it concerns parts of Starship. (Read more below the post)

Elon Musk did share images of the falling debris on X, writing: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed.” The SpaceX CEO also shared a quote from James Cameron that “failure is an option, but fear is not.” (Read more below the post)

To the moon and Mars

Starship is being developed to go to the moon and Mars. The spacecraft and launch vehicle lifted off from Starbase near Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday at 4:37 PM local time (11:37 PM Belgian time).

“Starship experienced a rapid unplanned disassembly during ascent,” SpaceX stated. “The teams will continue to evaluate the data from today’s test flight to better understand the cause. In a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”

“Improved versions of the ship and booster are already awaiting launch,” Musk also said on X. (Read more below the post)

‘Walk’

On Thursday, the New Glenn rocket from Blue Origin, the space company of Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, took off for its maiden flight. The aim of the flight was to put the launch vehicle into orbit around the Earth. After launch, the rocket’s booster had to end up on a platform about 1,000 kilometers away in the Atlantic Ocean so that it could be used again. “If we succeed, that would be the icing on the cake,” Bezos said earlier. The rocket entered orbit, but it failed to land on a platform about 1,000 kilometers away in the Atlantic Ocean.

In the future, the rocket should be able to transport multiple satellites per flight. With the approximately 100 meter high rocket, Bezos’ Blue Origin wants to compete with rival SpaceX.