SpaceX’s latest test of its giant Starship rocket ended in failure shortly after launch on Thursday. Officials reported the upper stage was lost following issues that arose post-liftoff from Texas.
The failed mission coincided with the maiden flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, spearheaded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Both Bezos and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk are vying for dominance in the space vehicle market.
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” SpaceX posted on X, adding that data from the flight test would aid improvements to the rocket’s reliability.
Unverified social media footage showed the rocket breaking apart in flames. Musk, sharing the aftermath on X, commented, “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!” He also noted that upgraded versions of Starship and its booster are ready for launch.
The Starship system had successfully lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas, at 17:38 EST (22:38 GMT) during the company’s seventh test mission. The upper stage separated from the Super Heavy booster as planned nearly four minutes into the flight, but contact with the ship was lost shortly after.
Despite this setback, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to its launchpad seven minutes post-liftoff, sparking applause from SpaceX ground teams.
This follows a busy week in space exploration. On Wednesday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched from Florida, carrying privately built lunar landers and a micro rover to the Moon. Meanwhile, Blue Origin achieved a milestone with its first orbital rocket launch, marking a major step forward for Bezos’ company.
