SpaceX’s eighth Starship test flight ended in failure after the rocket lost engines and control before exploding off Florida’s coast.
The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order ground stops for multiple airports, which were lifted after about an hour and a half.
SpaceX’s eighth test flight of the Starship rocket ended in failure at the evening after the spacecraft lost several engines and ultimately lost control during ascent.
The launch, which took place around 6:30 p.m. ET, initially succeeded in separating Starship from the Super Heavy booster. However, eight minutes into the flight, the spacecraft began losing altitude control. SpaceX engineers lost contact with the vehicle before the ascent phase was complete.
Several minutes later, reports and footage from social media appeared to show the Starship exploding off Florida’s Atlantic Coast, which SpaceX described as “a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” and contact was lost.
As a result of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure locations. Ground stops were ordered at multiple Florida airports, including Orlando International Airport (MCO), Miami International Airport (MIA), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The ground stops had all been lifted shortly after 8 p.m. ET.
The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations
The Starship launched at 6:30 p.m. ET and just over eight minutes into the flight, SpaceX reported that a few engines had cut off.
SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft which eventually exploded at approximately 480,000 feet, or 90 miles above earth.
The Starship reached a speed of around 12, 427 mph and any debris that would have hit the ground would have been traveling anywhere between 150-400 mph.
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