SpaceX Starship Explodes Again, FAA Launches Investigation

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded midflight for the second consecutive time in a row, disrupting air traffic in Florida and prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The incident occurred during the eighth test flight of the vehicle, which launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The Starship system, consisting of a 232-foot-tall Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, initially performed as expected. The booster detached successfully and was caught by the “Mechazilla” tower for the third time. However, less than 10 minutes into the flight, the upper stage encountered issues, losing multiple Raptor engines before spinning uncontrollably. 

In a statement, SpaceX attributed the failure to an “energetic event” in the aft portion of the spacecraft, leading to the loss of several engines and subsequent loss of attitude control. “Final contact with Starship came approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff,” the company reported.

Following the explosion, fiery debris was observed over Florida and the Bahamas. The FAA temporarily halted incoming flights to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando airports due to falling space debris. Departing flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport were also delayed by up to 45 minutes.

“A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again,” the FAA stated. The agency has mandated that SpaceX conduct a mishap investigation before further tests and confirmed it would oversee the process and approve the company’s final report before authorizing another launch.

This explosion follows a similar incident during Starship’s seventh test flight in January, which resulted in debris falling over Turks and Caicos. That mishap remains under investigation, although the FAA allowed SpaceX to proceed with Flight 8 after confirming all safety and environmental requirements were met.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the failure but expressed optimism about the program’s progress. “Today was a minor setback. Progress is measured by time. The next ship will be ready in 4 to 6 weeks,” Musk wrote on X.

SpaceX stated that all debris from the explosion fell within the designated launch corridor and confirmed no toxic materials were involved. The company urged anyone discovering debris to contact authorities or the SpaceX Debris Hotline.