SpaceX’s Starship test fails in space
SpaceX’s second attempt to fly its uncrewed spacecraft Starship mounted atop its towering Super Heavy rocket booster ended in a failure. The rocket rose as high as 90 miles above ground, but a mishap occurred soon after it detached from its core Starship stage, resulting in an explosion over the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft eventually failed, with SpaceX mission control losing contact with the vehicle.
Engineers believe an automated flight termination command was triggered, though the reason for the failure remains unclear. This setback poses a challenge for SpaceX, which had hoped to use the Starship to send humans and cargo back to the moon within the next few years as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA chief Bill Nelson views the failed test as an “opportunity to learn—then fly again,” emphasizing the need for speed as competition with China intensifies in space exploration. Meanwhile, SpaceX investor Chad Anderson warned that “the clock is ticking” for SpaceX to deliver on a timeline.
It is unclear at this time how the failure will impact SpaceX’s timeline for future testing, but the company has additional vehicles already lined up in the factory, ready to go. The Federal Aviation Administration will oversee a SpaceX-led investigation into the testing failure and review the company’s application for a new launch license. SpaceX has a risk-tolerant culture and is known for embracing fast-paced testing to hasten design and engineering improvements.