{"id":44506,"date":"2025-01-17T22:31:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T14:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/fire-destroys-starship-on-its-seventh-test-flight-raining-debris-from-space\/"},"modified":"2025-01-17T22:31:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T14:31:44","slug":"fire-destroys-starship-on-its-seventh-test-flight-raining-debris-from-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/fire-destroys-starship-on-its-seventh-test-flight-raining-debris-from-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire destroys Starship on its seventh test flight, raining debris from space"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX launched an upgraded version of its massive Starship rocket from South Texas on Thursday, but the flight ended less than nine minutes later after engineers lost contact with the spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">For a few moments, SpaceX officials discussing the launch on the company\u2019s live webcast were unsure of the outcome of the test flight. However, within minutes, residents and tourists in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico shared videos showing a shower of debris falling through the atmosphere along Starship\u2019s expected flight corridor.<\/p>\n<p>The videos confirmed Starship\u2014the rocket\u2019s upper stage\u2014broke apart in space, or experienced a \u201crapid unscheduled disassembly\u201d in SpaceX-speak. This happened well short of the spacecraft\u2019s planned trajectory, which would have seen it fly halfway around the world and splash down in the Indian Ocean after more than an hour of flight.<\/p>\n<p>There were no people or satellites aboard the rocket Thursday.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 560px; height: 560px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1880026759133032662&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Fspace%2F2025%2F01%2Ffire-destroys-starship-on-its-seventh-test-flight-raining-debris-from-space%2F&amp;partner=tfwp&amp;sessionId=7a5ba472863b4b114b564bf1d0321a966579d887&amp;siteScreenName=arstechnica&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1880026759133032662\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Flight diversions<\/h2>\n<p>The test flight began with the liftoff of the 404-foot-tall (123.1-meter) Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage from the Texas Gulf Coast at 4:37 pm CST (5:37 pm EST; 22:37 UTC). The world\u2019s largest and most powerful launcher climbed off the launch pad with more than twice the thrust of NASA\u2019s Apollo-era Saturn V rocket. Heading east, its 33 methane-fueled Raptor booster engines fired for more than two and a half minutes to propel Starship toward the edge of space.<\/p>\n<p>The booster\u2019s engines shut down as planned, followed moments later by the ignition of six Raptor engines on the Starship upper stage. The Super Heavy booster separated from the rocket to fly itself back to the launch site. Just shy of seven minutes after liftoff, the booster returned to the launch pad for a mid-air catch by the tower\u2019s two mechanical arms, repeating a feat SpaceX accomplished in October.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>The upper stage, meanwhile, appeared to fly normally until a telemetry display on SpaceX\u2019s webcast indicated that one of the ship\u2019s six engines shut off more than seven minutes after liftoff. The display then showed more engines failing, and the data stream froze.<\/p>\n<p>In an update posted on SpaceX\u2019s website later Thursday evening, officials said ground teams lost contact with the spacecraft approximately eight and a half minutes into the flight. At the time, information on SpaceX\u2019s live video stream showed the vehicle was traveling at about 13,246 mph (21,317 km\/hr) at an altitude of about 91 miles (146 kilometers).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInitial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly with debris falling into the Atlantic Ocean within the predefined hazard areas,\u201d SpaceX officials wrote in the update.<\/p>\n<p>The falling debris caused air traffic controllers to divert or reroute commercial flights over the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2071479 align-fullwidth\">\n<p>              <img width=\"2560\" height=\"1858\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-scaled.jpg\" class=\"fullwidth full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-640x465.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-1024x743.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-768x557.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-1536x1115.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-2048x1487.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-980x711.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fr24_flt7_flights-1440x1045.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p>              This map shared by FlightRadar24 shows multiple commercial airplanes in holding patterns outside of closed airspace near Starship\u2019s flight path.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      FlightRadar24<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Air traffic controllers have the ability to activate a \u201cDebris Response Area\u201d if a spacecraft experiences an anomaly with debris falling outside of identified closed aircraft hazard areas, where the FAA notifies pilots in advance about the risk of reentering space junk. Activating a Debris Response Area \u201callows the FAA to direct aircraft to exit the area and prevent others from entering,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>This is what the FAA did Thursday evening. Air traffic controllers closed a swath of airspace between the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico to commercial air traffic for more than an hour, causing some passenger airline flights to enter a holding pattern, return to their departure airports, land at alternate airfields, or delay their takeoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Flight-tracking sites and apps showed the extent of the impacts on air traffic. Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport, both hubs for flights to and from the Caribbean, reported short flight delays due to a \u201crocket launch anomaly,\u201d according to an FAA website.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>Ars listened to live audio from air traffic control in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as controllers alerted pilots of the airspace restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow long do you think this hold is going to be? We don\u2019t have a lot of gas to play with,\u201d one pilot asked air traffic control. \u201cThe sooner we can get on the ground, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A short time later, the airspace reopened, and flights continued on to their destinations or diverted to other airports.<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cThat\u2019s the coolest sh*t I\u2019ve ever seen in my life\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Some of the videos recorded by residents and tourists in the Turks and Caicos appeared to show fiery debris fragments streaking almost directly overhead. Many people speaking in the videos did not realize what they were seeing, but space enthusiasts on social media quickly identified the source of the spectacle.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 560px; height: 560px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1880027949862384107&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Fspace%2F2025%2F01%2Ffire-destroys-starship-on-its-seventh-test-flight-raining-debris-from-space%2F&amp;partner=tfwp&amp;sessionId=7a5ba472863b4b114b564bf1d0321a966579d887&amp;siteScreenName=arstechnica&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1880027949862384107\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Elon Musk, SpaceX\u2019s founder and CEO, wrote on X that early signs from data suggested there was a propellant leak in a cavity above Starship\u2019s engine firewall. The leak was large enough to build pressure in excess of the ship\u2019s vent capacity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and probably increase vent area,\u201d Musk wrote. \u201cNothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coming into 2025, SpaceX officials hoped to launch as many as 25 Starship test flights this year to experiment with new designs, attempt a recovery of Starship from orbit, and demonstrate orbital refueling, a capability that is critical to NASA and SpaceX\u2019s plans to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX designed Starship to be fully reusable, with the ability to deliver more than 100 metric tons (220,000 pounds) of cargo to low-Earth orbit. Future versions of the ship will be suited for travel to the Moon and Mars. NASA has two contracts for SpaceX to develop a derivative of Starship as a human-rated lander for the agency\u2019s Artemis lunar program, and Musk views Starship as central to enabling his vision of creating a human settlement on the red planet.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s official public schedule calls for a crew landing at the Moon\u2019s south pole in 2027, using the privately developed Starship alongside the agency\u2019s government-managed Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule. Together, the vehicles will transport astronauts from Earth to the Moon, then to the lunar surface and back into space, and finally back to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>However, this schedule hinges on the readiness of Starship to accommodate humans, the availability of new lunar spacesuits, and the status of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, both of which have endured lengthy delays. The incoming Trump administration is expected to reevaluate the architecture of the Artemis program to determine if, and how, NASA can return humans to the Moon faster and cheaper. It\u2019s possible SpaceX\u2019s Starship and other commercial rockets might carve out a more significant role.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2071484 align-fullwidth\">\n<p>              <img width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-scaled.jpg\" class=\"fullwidth full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-384x216.jpg 384w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7catch1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p>              The Super Heavy booster comes in for the catch Thursday at Starbase, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      SpaceX<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>If SpaceX can fly Starship again as soon as next month, it\u2019s possible the company could preserve its aims for the program this year. SpaceX has no shortage of hardware ready or nearly ready to go. There are multiple Starships and Super Heavy boosters undergoing preparations for future test flights at the company\u2019s Starbase launch facility near Brownsville, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>But schedules often slip in the launch business, and the FAA could ground Starship until SpaceX completes a formal mishap investigation. The federal regulator is responsible for ensuring public safety on commercial space launches. A spokesperson told Ars late Thursday that the FAA is assessing the Starship anomaly and will provide a statement when officials know more.<\/p>\n<h2>A setback, sure, but is this a big deal?<\/h2>\n<p>In the hours after Thursday\u2019s test flight, Musk took to his social media platform to share and comment on several videos of the Starship debris coming back to Earth. SpaceX has long embraced failures as learning opportunities, and the company\u2019s culture is centered on rapidly iterating on designs\u2014build, test, break, fix.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>This launch debuted a more advanced, slightly taller version of Starship, known as Version 2 or Block 2, with larger propellant tanks, a new avionics system, and redesigned feed lines flowing methane and liquid oxygen propellants to the ship\u2019s six Raptor engines. SpaceX officials did not say whether any of these changes might have caused the problem on Thursday\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX officials have repeatedly and carefully set expectations for each Starship test flight. They routinely refer to the rocket as experimental, and the primary focus of the rocket\u2019s early demo missions is to gather data on the performance of the vehicle. <em>What works, and what doesn\u2019t work?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Still, the outcome of Thursday\u2019s test flight is a clear disappointment for SpaceX. This was the seventh test flight of SpaceX\u2019s enormous rocket and the first time Starship failed to complete its launch sequence since the second flight in November 2023. Until now, SpaceX has made steady progress, and each Starship flight has achieved more milestones than the one before.<\/p>\n<p>On the first flight in April 2023, the rocket lost control a little more than two minutes after liftoff, and the ground-shaking power of the booster\u2019s 33 engines shattered the concrete foundation beneath the launch pad. Seven months later, on Flight 2, the rocket made it eight minutes before failing. On that mission, Starship failed at roughly the same point of its ascent, just before the cutoff of the vehicle\u2019s six methane-fueled Raptor engines.<\/p>\n<p>Back then, a handful of photos and images from the Florida Keys and Puerto Rico showed debris in the sky after Starship activated its self-destruct mechanism due to an onboard fire caused by a dump of liquid oxygen propellant. But that flight occurred in the morning, with bright sunlight along the ship\u2019s flight path.<\/p>\n<p>This time, the ship disintegrated and reentered the atmosphere at dusk, with impeccable lighting conditions accentuating the debris cloud\u2019s appearance. These twilight conditions likely contributed to the plethora of videos posted to social media on Thursday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2071485 align-fullwidth\">\n<p>              <img width=\"1246\" height=\"717\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange.jpg\" class=\"fullwidth full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange.jpg 1246w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange-640x368.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange-1024x589.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/flt7_downrange-980x564.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1246px) 100vw, 1246px\"><\/p>\n<p>              Starship and Super Heavy head downrange from SpaceX\u2019s launch site near Brownsville, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      SpaceX<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The third Starship test flight last March saw the spacecraft reach its planned trajectory and fly halfway around the world before succumbing to the scorching heat of atmospheric reentry. In June, the fourth test flight ended with controlled splashdowns of the rocket\u2019s Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico and of Starship in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>In October, SpaceX caught the Super Heavy booster with mechanical arms at the launch pad for the first time, proving out the company\u2019s audacious approach to recovering and reusing the rocket. On this fifth test flight, SpaceX modified the ship\u2019s heat shield to better handle the hot temperatures of reentry, and the vehicle again made it to an on-target splashdown in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Most recently, Flight 6 on November 19 demonstrated the ship\u2019s ability to reignite its Raptor engines in space for the first time and again concluded with a bullseye splashdown. But SpaceX aborted an attempt to again catch the booster back at Starbase due to a problem with sensors on the launch pad\u2019s tower.<\/p>\n<p>With Flight 7, SpaceX hoped to test more changes to the heat shield protecting Starship from reentry temperatures up to 2,600\u00b0 Fahrenheit (1,430\u00b0 Celsius). Musk has identified the heat shield as one of the most difficult challenges still facing the program. In order for SpaceX to reach its ambition for the ship to become rapidly reusable, with minimal or no refurbishment between flights, the heat shield must be resilient and durable.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>While the three previous Starship test flights each softly splashed down at sea, onboard camera views showed some of the ship\u2019s heat-absorbing ceramic tiles stripping away from the vehicle during reentry. Other changes on Flight 7 included a new tapered edge to the line where the tiles meet the ship\u2019s stainless steel skin and multiple metallic tile options, including one with active cooling, to test alternative heat shield materials.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX also wanted to test the thermal performance of new fittings that will be used to catch Starship back at the launch tower on future flights. Engineers were eager to see how redesigned flaps near the nose of Starship worked during its descent back to Earth. And once the ship reached space, SpaceX intended to release 10 mock-ups of next-generation Starlink Internet satellites to test the ship\u2019s payload deployment mechanism for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>All those objectives will now have to wait until Flight 8. Going into this launch, Musk hoped to attempt to catch the Starship upper stage, similar to the way SpaceX recovered the Super Heavy booster, as soon as the next test flight. Now, that will likely have to wait until a later mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs always, success comes from what we learn, and this flight test will help us improve Starship\u2019s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary,\u201d SpaceX said. \u201cData review is already underway as we seek out root cause. We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX launched an upgraded version of its massive Starship rocket from South Texas on Thursday, but the flight ended less than nine minutes later after engineers lost contact with the spacecraft. For a few moments, SpaceX officials discussing the launch on the company\u2019s live webcast were unsure of the outcome of the test flight. However, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44507,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[291,318,25,190,316,739,317],"class_list":["post-44506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-space","tag-faa","tag-launch","tag-nasa","tag-spacex","tag-starbase","tag-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44506\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}