Elon Musk’s SpaceX conducted its seventh Starship test flight from Texas, which ended in failure less than 10 minutes after liftoff, following a similar fate for the sixth flight. The unmanned ship successfully flew for eight minutes before losing contact, leading to its destruction during an unexpected breakup. Despite this, the flight tested significant upgrades to the 403-foot Starship, designed to enhance reliability and performance, including improved fuel capacity and sensor protection for booster catches. Musk emphasized each launch brings them closer to Mars, as the mission aimed to deploy dummy satellites and conduct atmospheric reentry experiments.
As Elon Musk continues his quest to reach Mars, SpaceX’s seventh Starship test flight was “destroyed” less than 10 minutes after liftoff.
The unmanned test flight is Musk’s latest attempt to make life on Mars a reality after a sixth test flight exploded less than 10 minutes into the flight.
The new-generation ship was launched from Texas on Thursday and successfully flew for about eight minutes before losing contact and both teams made a second breathtaking booster catch.
Officials confirmed that the spacecraft was destroyed.
“Starship experienced an unplanned rapid breakup during its ascent burn. The team will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand the root cause,” SpaceX said. Posted in X.
“With tests like this, success comes from what we learn. Today’s flight will help improve Starship’s reliability.”
A piece of debris with no clear connection to the spacecraft was caught on camera flying over the Caribbean Sea just minutes after the test flight.
“Every Starship launch brings us one step closer to Mars,” Musk said before the launch, saying he hopes his spacecraft will be the first to send humans to Mars.
SpaceX posted on X that today’s test flight included “significant upgrades.”
The new-generation SpaceX ship launched from Texas on Thursday, and the team’s second breathtaking booster catch allowed it to fly for about eight minutes before losing contact.
The new Starship is now 403 feet tall, carries about 300 tons more propellant than the previous test airship, and has been rolled out with added “reliability and performance” upgrades.
“Every Starship launch brings us one step closer to Mars,” Musk said before the launch, adding that he hopes his spacecraft will be the first to send humans to Mars.
Debris with unclear connection to the spacecraft was captured on camera flying over the Caribbean minutes after the test flight.
The new Starship is now 403 feet tall, carries about 300 tons more propellant than the previous test airship, and has been rolled out with added “reliability and performance” upgrades.
SpaceX announced that there will be “launch and catch tower hardware upgrades to improve booster catch reliability,” including enhanced sensor protection for the chopsticks that were damaged in a previous launch.
A redesigned upper stage propulsion system can carry 25% more propellant, and the forward flaps have been repositioned to make them slimmer to reduce heat exposure during reentry.
The company also added 10 dummy satellites, the same size as SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, for release into space. They were scheduled to follow the same flight path as the spacecraft, but were ultimately destroyed upon entry.
The post said the flight was intended to “attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple atmospheric entry experiments for the purpose of capturing and reusing the ship, and launch a superheavy booster for return.” I left,” he added.
“Today’s flight tests included the launch of a new generation ship with significant upgrades, Starship’s first payload deployment test attempt, multiple atmospheric reentry test flights to capture and reuse the ship, and A super-heavy booster launches and returns.
SpaceX’s last successful launch was on its fifth test flight in October. The sixth, witnessed by President-elect Donald Trump in November, was a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The test flight took off over the Gulf of Mexico just after 5:30 a.m. ET.
Approximately six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned and was successfully captured by SpaceX’s launch tower for the second time.
Stage 1 was a success, but contact with the ship was reportedly lost just after eight and a half minutes.
“With tests like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help improve Starship’s reliability,” SpaceX posted on X
Just three minutes into the flight, the super heavy booster successfully detached, performed a flip maneuver, and returned to the launch pad.
Approximately six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned, marking SpaceX’s second successful acquisition on the launch tower.
“Even in this day and age, what we just saw is magic,” Dan Huot observed from near the launch site after the booster landed. “I’m shaking right now.”
“The tower caught the rocket!!” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via X as the spacecraft made a dramatic touchdown.
Stage 1 was a success, but contact with the ship was reportedly lost just after eight and a half minutes.
After 20 minutes, it was confirmed that the ship was lost.
Hours earlier, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched its latest rocket, the New Glenn, in Florida. The rocket successfully reached orbit on its first flight, placing an experimental satellite thousands of miles above Earth.
However, the booster was destroyed and the aircraft failed to reach its destination on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
