Starship Flight Ends in ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly,’ Booster Catch Success
SpaceX’s eighth integrated flight test of its Starship megarocket ended prematurely on Thursday evening with the dramatic disintegration of the upper stage (S34) shortly after reaching space, Fox News reports.
The event occurred at the Starbase facility in Boca Chica Beach, Texas, following a successful launch that included the Super Heavy booster (B15) achieving a groundbreaking “chopstick” catch by the launch tower.
Despite the booster’s successful recovery, the Starship upper stage experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” as it began spinning uncontrollably after reaching space. Contact was lost, and debris rained back to Earth.
“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,” SpaceX stated.
The mission, which mirrored the suborbital trajectory of previous tests, aimed to achieve milestones missed in previous attempts, including Starship’s first payload deployment of four Starlink simulators and several reentry experiments designed to facilitate a return to the launch site for an eventual “catch” of the upper stage. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space was also planned.
SpaceX announcers, streaming the launch live, confirmed the loss of contact with the ship and noted the activation of a pre-planned debris response plan, emphasizing efforts to ensure public safety through air traffic control measures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident and announced a required “mishap investigation” into the loss of Starship.
“During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location,” the FAA stated. “Normal operations have resumed.”
The mishap investigation, overseen by the FAA, aims to enhance public safety, pinpoint the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to prevent future occurrences.
The incident caused temporary ground stops at multiple Florida airports, including Miami International, due to concerns about falling space launch debris. As of 7:45 p.m., Miami remained grounded, while Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International reported departure delays.
Thursday’s test incorporated several hardware and operational changes implemented after an investigation into a similar loss of Starship during its seventh flight test in January. These changes aimed to improve the reliability of the upper stage.
Prior to its destruction, the Starship upper stage was slated to deploy four Starlink simulators, conduct reentry experiments utilizing various tile designs to assess thermal protection performance, and test non-structural catch fittings for thermal resilience. The Super Heavy booster featured upgraded avionics, including a more powerful flight computer and improved power distribution.
While the mission ultimately ended in failure for the Starship upper stage, the successful “chopstick” catch of the Super Heavy booster represents a significant milestone in SpaceX’s development of the fully reusable Starship system.
