SpaceX’s eighth Starship test flight experienced a partial setback as the upper stage was lost during ascent, while the Super Heavy booster was successfully recovered.
Launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the mission aimed to further validate the Starship system’s capabilities. Approximately eight minutes into the flight, the upper stage encountered engine shutdowns, leading to a loss of attitude control and communication. Observers reported the vehicle breaking up over the Caribbean Sea.
Despite the upper stage anomaly, the Super Heavy booster performed a successful return and was “caught” by the launch tower’s mechanical arms, known as “Mechazilla.” This marks the third successful recovery of a booster using this method, demonstrating progress in SpaceX’s reusability objectives.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted air traffic at four Florida airports—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando—due to concerns about potential debris from the disintegrated rocket. Flights resumed approximately 50 minutes later. The FAA has mandated an investigation into the incident, marking the second time a Starship vehicle has broken up post-launch this year.
“During Starship’s ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses. We will review the data from today’s flight test to better understand [the] root cause. As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability,” SpaceX said in a statement.
SpaceX acknowledged the anomaly and is analyzing flight data to enhance the reliability of future missions. The company remains committed to advancing the Starship program, which is central to its plans for lunar and Martian exploration.
