Elon Musk's Starship exploded during a test flight
SpaceX has suffered another setback with its Starship rocket. Less than ten minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft lost contact with control teams and exploded in the sky.
SpaceX has suffered another setback with its Starship rocket. Less than ten minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft lost contact with control teams and exploded in the sky.
For the second time in a year, the SpaceX Starship test spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff on Thursday.
The 123-meter rocket launched from the SpaceX spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas. The initial phase of the flight was successful: the first stage of the Super Heavy rocket separated and descended to the launch pad, where it was successfully intercepted by the Mechazilla tower. This is the third successful interception of the Super Heavy.
That's where the good news for SpaceX ended. 8 minutes after launch, Starship began to spin, and the engines failed, after which the ship broke apart. Videos of Starship debris flying beautifully in the sky over the Bahamas are circulating online.
BREAKING: SpaceX Starship exploded and fell apart over the Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/Etm3U7IKKi
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The fiery debris forced the US Federal Aviation Administration to halt air traffic at several Florida airports.
SpaceX said the explosion was caused by a fuel leak. Last time, Starship also exploded for this reason.
