Eight minutes and 29 seconds after liftoff from Southeast Texas, Starship’s Ship 33 spacecraft exploded over the Caribbean Sea. The result was a shocking shower of debris visible from several islands.
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” SpaceX said about the explosion. The company added, “Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”
A photo of the wreckage of Starship while reeentering the atmosphere over Turks and Caicos.
This setback sharply contrasts with the successful landing of the Super Heavy booster, which occurred shortly before the spacecraft’s explosion on the arms of the Mechazilla tower. It also contrasts with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which successfully reached orbit on Thursday but failed to land its first stage.
We’ll have to wait a few days to find out exactly what happened to the spacecraft. The Federal Aviation Administration will likely require SpaceX to undergo a thorough investigation. This means the company won’t be able to conduct any new flight tests until the investigation is concluded.
A picture of Starship debris reentering the atmosphere shows the aftermath of the Starship 33 explosion over the Caribbean.
In the initial moments of the rocket’s ascent, there was what appeared to be a loose flap on the spacecraft. Seconds before the explosion, flames seemed to be emerging from the rear wing hinges.
Telemetry data indicated a significant drop in methane levels before the explosion. One of the six engines shut down, followed by the shutdown of four others. It’s possible that a methane leak caused a fire that ultimately led to the explosion or triggered the activation of the Flight Termination System due to the sudden engine shutdown.
Regardless of the cause, Ship 33 exploded at 13,250 mph over the Caribbean, resulting in one of the most dramatic meteor showers in recent memory. Thousands of debris pieces burned up in the atmosphere. However, concerns about some fragments potentially surviving reentry prompted aircraft to change course and avoid the area.
“Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared in an X post alongside a video featuring Starship’s reentry. “[There are] improved versions of the ship & booster already waiting for launch,” he wrote in another post.
Ship 33 was the first in the Starship Block 2 series, which incorporates several design improvements. These include smaller forward ailerons positioned away from the heat shield, new-generation heat shield slabs, larger tanks, new fuel lines for vacuum engines, and an improved avionics module.
Image | SpaceX
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