Starship’s Eighth Test Flight Ends in Explosion
A SpaceX Starship spacecraft exploded during its eighth test flight, marking its second consecutive failure in 2025. The incident disrupted air traffic in Florida and led to flight delays.
The uncrewed spacecraft lifted off at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) from Starbase facility in South Texas. It rode atop a 232-foot (71-meter) Super Heavy booster.
After 2 ½ minutes, the booster separated as planned and returned to land within “Mechazilla” launch tower near Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX successfully caught the booster for the third time.
Figure 1: SpaceX Starship Flight 8 takes off from the Starbase facility’s launchpad near Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday. [Brandon Bell/Getty Images]
Engine Failures Led to Loss of Control
Less than 10 minutes after launch, the Starship craft experienced engine failures. Several engines visibly shut down before the spacecraft began to tumble.
Dan Huot, communications manager, confirmed the issue on the livestream.
“Once you lose enough of those center engines, you’re going to lose attitude control,” Huot said. “And so we did see the ship start to go into a spin, and at this point, we have lost contact with the ship.”
Video of Starship launching and losing it’s control:
SpaceX lost communication with the vehicle approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff. The explosion was visible from Florida and the Caribbean.
FAA Halts Flights Over Florida
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando airports due to “falling space debris.” The restriction remained in place until 8 p.m. ET.
Departures from Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports were also temporarily paused. Flights experienced delays of 30 to 45 minutes.
Debris from SpaceX Starship flight 8 explosion streaks across Bahamas night sky:
Huot stated that SpaceX had implemented safety measures before launch.
“We’ve got a lot of measures in place, like debris response areas, where we coordinate very closely with air traffic control,” Huot said.
SpaceX Provides Statement on Incident
Several hours after the explosion, SpaceX released an update on the mission.
“Prior to the end of the ascent burn, an energetic event in the aft portion of Starship resulted in the loss of several Raptor engines,” the statement read. “This in turn led to a loss of attitude control and ultimately a loss of communications with Starship. Final contact with Starship came approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff.”
SpaceX confirmed the vehicle remained within its designated launch corridor.
“Any surviving debris would have fallen within the pre-planned Debris Response Area,” the company stated. “There are no toxic materials present in the debris and no significant impacts expected to occur to marine species or water quality.”
SpaceX urged individuals who find debris to contact local authorities or the company’s recovery hotline.
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability. We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests… pic.twitter.com/3ThPm0Yzky
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 7, 2025
Twitter Post: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1897841723851645064
FAA Initiates Mishap Investigation
The FAA announced that SpaceX must conduct a mishap investigation to determine the cause of the failure.
“A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again,” the FAA stated. “The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions.”
The agency stated that SpaceX cannot resume Starship launches until the investigation is complete and all public safety concerns are addressed.
Previous Failure in January
Thursday’s launch came seven weeks after the Flight 7 explosion on January 16. That incident scattered debris over the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The FAA is still investigating Flight 7 but approved Flight 8 on February 28. The agency determined that SpaceX had “met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.”
Flight 7 also exploded less than 10 minutes after launch. SpaceX attributed that failure to a leak in the aft section near a superchilled liquid oxygen tank.
The Failure of Test Flight 7:
The explosion caused minor damage on South Caicos, where debris struck a vehicle. The incident also disrupted flights as air traffic controllers rerouted planes.
Residents of Turks and Caicos continue to find Starship debris. The local government is working with SpaceX on a cleanup plan. Details of the plan remain undisclosed.
Turks and Caicos Government Responds
Following Thursday’s explosion, the Turks and Caicos government issued a public advisory on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Rising Concerns Over Launch Safety
SpaceX follows a “rapid iterative development” approach, testing Starship frequently with a willingness to accept failures.
Earlier test flights either exploded on the launchpad or over open water. However, Flight 7 and Flight 8 both failed over populated areas.
Thursday’s explosion raised concerns about why the FAA approved Flight 8 before completing its investigation into Flight 7. The incident also renewed debates over whether experimental rockets should fly over populated regions.
SpaceX’s Recent Starship Upgrades
The failed January test led to implement several design changes.
Engineers removed some heat shield tiles from Starship to test vulnerabilities. The spacecraft’s black hexagonal tiles protect it from temperatures exceeding 2,600°F (1,427°C) during re-entry.
SpaceX also added new vents and a purge system to prevent fires. The company adjusted fuel lines and propellant temperatures while modifying the vehicle’s operating thrust target.
The Super Heavy booster received upgrades, including a more powerful flight computer.
Planned Starlink Satellite Deployment Abandoned
SpaceX intended to deploy mock Starlink satellites during Flight 8. The satellites were not meant to reach orbit but were part of a demonstration.
The failure prevented SpaceX from testing this capability.
Flight 7 also aimed to test similar objectives but ended prematurely.
Future of Starship Testing
SpaceX continues to pursue the development of Starship, which it plans to use for deep space missions.
The company must complete the FAA-led investigation before launching the next test flight.
