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SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Ends in Failure After Texas Launch

SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Ends in Failure After Texas Launch

SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ended in failure shortly after launch from Texas on Thursday. The massive rocket, designed for deep space missions, broke apart minutes after liftoff in the seventh test attempt. The upper stage was lost due to a critical issue, though the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launchpad.

Figure 1: The 400-foot rocket roared into the sky from Boca Chica, near the Mexican border, in the late afternoon (Eric Gay/AP).

Flight 7 Ends with a Fiery Failure

The SpaceX Starship Flight 7 launched from Boca Chica, Texas, at 17:38 EST (22:38 GMT). Initially, the test proceeded smoothly, with the upper stage separating from the Super Heavy booster nearly four minutes into the flight as planned. However, communication with the upper stage was lost shortly after separation.

SpaceX confirmed the incident, stating the vehicle experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” during ascent. The company reported that teams were reviewing flight data to determine the root cause. Elon Musk shared a preliminary analysis suggesting a propellant leak above the engine firewall might have built excessive pressure, causing the failure. He reassured that “improved versions” of both the ship and booster were ready for the next launch, potentially within a month.

Unverified footage circulated online, showing bright fireballs streaking across the sky over Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, trailing smoke.

Super Heavy Booster Achieves Partial Success

While the upper stage was lost, the Super Heavy booster performed a successful return to the launchpad seven minutes after liftoff. The controlled landing prompted cheers from the SpaceX ground control team, marking a partial success in the test mission.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged an “anomaly” during the mission. The FAA temporarily diverted aircraft in the area due to falling debris but confirmed normal operations had resumed.

Starship’s Ambitious Design

Starship, standing at 121 metres tall, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. It generates 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, significantly outpacing other rockets, including NASA’s Saturn V and Space Launch System (SLS).

The vehicle consists of two stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. Both are fully reusable, aiming to reduce space travel costs and enable frequent space missions. SpaceX plans to use Starship for deep space missions, including carrying astronauts to the Moon and Mars.

Competition with Blue Origin

The Starship Flight 7 failure occurred just hours after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully completed its maiden flight. Founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is SpaceX’s direct competitor in the space vehicle market. Both companies aim to dominate the future of space transportation and exploration.

The back-to-back launches highlighted the rivalry between Musk and Bezos in the private space industry. While SpaceX faced a setback, Blue Origin celebrated a major milestone with its first successful orbital launch.

Musk’s Vision for Starship

Elon Musk has long championed Starship as the key to making humanity a multi-planetary species. SpaceX aims to use the rocket for Mars colonisation and lunar missions under NASA’s Artemis program. NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract in 2021 to develop a lunar lander version of Starship for the Artemis III mission, which could see astronauts return to the Moon by 2027.

Musk previously described Starship as essential for creating a permanent Moon base and a city on Mars, emphasising its massive size and power. He has admitted that development challenges are expected but believes every test provides valuable data for future improvements.

FAA and Safety Concerns

The FAA announced it would investigate the failure as part of its standard procedure for spaceflight anomalies. This regulatory scrutiny may delay future launches as authorities assess whether the vehicle meets safety standards.

Aviation safety also came into focus as the FAA briefly paused flights near the Caribbean after debris from the explosion was reported falling in the area. Audio from air traffic controllers revealed pilots witnessing “major streaks” of debris, with bright orange trails seen over multiple regions.

Technical Challenges and Improvements

The failure highlighted the ongoing technical hurdles facing SpaceX’s ambitious rocket. Musk explained that the suspected propellant leak allowed pressure to build, exceeding the venting system’s capacity. The company has not indicated any delays in the upcoming test flights, with Musk stating that the next launch attempt could happen within weeks.

SpaceX previously made significant upgrades to the Starship system. Flight 7 included a larger fuel tank, improved flight computer, and enhanced avionics for better performance. The company aims to continuously test and refine the vehicle until it achieves operational reliability.

Public and Industry Reactions

Despite the failure, industry experts noted the progress SpaceX has made with the Starship program. The rocket has seen several successful test milestones, and the reusable booster’s return to the launchpad marked a technical success during Flight 7.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised SpaceX’s efforts and reaffirmed NASA’s confidence in the Starship program, acknowledging that innovation often involves setbacks. Meanwhile, social media reactions were mixed, with some praising SpaceX’s ambition while others focused on the failure itself.

Looking Ahead

SpaceX remains committed to perfecting Starship, with multiple test flights scheduled for 2025. The company aims to use the next-generation spacecraft for commercial payloads, deep space exploration, and space tourism.

The next flight test will focus on addressing the issues identified in Flight 7. SpaceX’s ultimate goal remains ambitious: making space travel affordable, frequent, and capable of supporting human life beyond Earth.

The rivalry with Blue Origin continues to intensify, with both companies striving to lead the next chapter in space exploration. While Starship Flight 7 marked a setback, Musk remains confident that future missions will bring the company closer to its interplanetary vision.

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