A SpaceX Starship prototype failed minutes after launch, scattering debris and disrupting air traffic over the Gulf of Mexico.
January 17, 2025: A SpaceX Starship prototype disintegrated shortly after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing flights over the Gulf of Mexico to divert and disrupting Elon Musk’s ambitious rocket program.
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The upgraded Starship, carrying a test payload of mock satellites, launched at 5:38 p.m. EST (2238 GMT) from SpaceX’s South Texas facilities. However, mission control lost contact with the rocket’s upper stage just eight minutes into its journey.
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Footage captured by Reuters showed fiery streaks of debris over Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, leaving smoky trails in the sky. SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot confirmed the anomaly, stating, “We did lose all communications with the ship.” He later acknowledged that the ship was lost.
The failure marked the first time in years that a SpaceX mishap caused significant disruptions to commercial air traffic. At Miami International Airport, flights were briefly grounded, and at least 20 commercial flights rerouted or altered their courses to avoid debris, as reported by FlightRadar24. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was investigating the incident.
In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a video of the debris field on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”
Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed! ✨
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025
pic.twitter.com/nn3PiP8XwG
The failed Starship was part of a new generation of spacecraft, featuring upgrades over previous versions and standing 2 meters taller. It was intended to splash down in the Indian Ocean approximately an hour after launch, but the mission ended abruptly during a phase that SpaceX had successfully completed in the past.
Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster component of the rocket successfully returned to its launch pad. The booster executed a controlled descent by reigniting its Raptor engines and docking onto giant mechanical arms attached to a launch tower.
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/aq91TloYzY
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 16, 2025
This was SpaceX’s seventh Starship test since 2023, part of Musk’s multibillion-dollar plan to develop rockets capable of transporting humans and cargo to Mars, as well as deploying large satellite clusters. While SpaceX has embraced a “test-to-failure” approach, Thursday’s failure during a previously proven phase may present new challenges for the ambitious program.
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SpaceX, Elon Musk, Starship, Rocket Failure, Space Exploration, SpaceX Starship Test, Gulf Flights Disruption, Space Travel, Mars Mission, FAA Investigation