SpaceX loses spacecraft after catching rocket booster at launch pad in newest Starship check

SpaceX’s Starship rocket is pictured after launching as seen from South Padre Island close to Brownsville, Texas, U.S. on January 16, 2025.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its newest check flight Thursday (January 16, 2025), however the spacecraft was destroyed following an exciting booster catch again on the pad.

Elon Musk’s firm mentioned Starship broke aside — what it referred to as a “fast unscheduled disassembly.” The spacecraft’s six engines appeared to close down one after the other throughout ascent, with contact misplaced simply 8 1/2 minutes into the flight.

The spacecraft — a brand new and upgraded mannequin making its debut — was purported to soar throughout the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a close to loop all over the world just like earlier check flights. SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites for follow at releasing them.

A minute earlier than the loss, SpaceX used the launch tower’s large mechanical arms to catch the returning booster, a feat achieved solely as soon as earlier than. The descending booster hovered over the launch pad earlier than being gripped by the pair of arms dubbed chopsticks.

The joys of the catch rapidly changed into disappointment for not solely the corporate, however the crowds gathered alongside the southern tip of Texas.

“It was nice to see a booster come down, however we’re clearly bummed out about ship,” mentioned SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot, including it will take time to investigate the information and determine what occurred. “It’s a flight check. It’s an experimental car.”

The final knowledge obtained from the spacecraft indicated an altitude of 90 miles (146 kilometers) and a velocity of 13,245 mph (21,317 kph).

The 400-foot (123-meter) rocket had thundered away in late afternoon from Boca Chica Seaside close to the Mexican border. The late hour ensured a daylight entry midway all over the world within the Indian Ocean. However the shiny retro-looking spacecraft by no means obtained almost that far.

SpaceX had made enhancements to the spacecraft for the newest demo and added a fleet of satellite tv for pc mockups. The check satellites had been the identical measurement as SpaceX’s Starlink web satellites and, just like the spacecraft, had been meant to be destroyed upon entry.

Musk plans to launch precise Starlinks on Starships earlier than transferring on to different satellites and, finally, crews.

It was the seventh check flight for the world’s largest and strongest rocket. NASA has reserved a pair of Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade. Musk’s aim is Mars.

Hours earlier in Florida, one other billionaire’s rocket firm — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin — launched the latest supersized rocket, New Glenn. The rocket reached orbit on its first flight, efficiently putting an experimental satellite tv for pc hundreds of miles above Earth. However the first-stage booster was destroyed, lacking its focused touchdown on a floating platform within the Atlantic.