A SpaceX’s Starship rocket was lost during its seventh test flight, marking an unexpected setback for the Elon Musk-led company. Communication with the upper stage was lost 8.5 minutes after liftoff, following engine shutdowns one by one. This failure overshadowed the successful recovery of the Super Heavy booster earlier in the flight.
The Super Heavy booster, powered by 33 Raptor engines, performed flawlessly upon its return.
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Using giant robotic arms nicknamed “chopsticks,” SpaceX caught the booster as it hovered over the launchpad, a critical achievement in the company’s reusability goals. This followed upgrades to the catch tower after previous tests damaged its sensors.
However, the upper-stage spacecraft, carrying ten dummy satellites for deployment practice, faced trouble soon after separating from the booster. Its six engines shut down one by one, and contact was lost 8.5 minutes into the flight. The spacecraft had reached an altitude of 90 miles and a velocity of 13,245 mph before failure. It was supposed to splash down in the Indian Ocean but never made it that far.
“We are obviously bummed out about the ship,” said SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot. “It will take time to analyse the data and figure out what happened.”
This test marked the debut of an upgraded Starship, featuring design changes to propulsion, heat shields, and satellite deployment systems. Nasa has already reserved Starships for moon landings in its Artemis programme, while SpaceX founder Elon Musk eyes Mars missions in the future.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket reached orbit in its first test flight, though its booster was lost.
The mission:
The Starship used in Thursday’s mission featured significant upgrades compared to earlier versions. These included increased fuel capacity, enabling longer engine burns and higher speeds.
The vehicle also had a more powerful flight computer, improved navigation systems, and new antennas designed to enhance communication with SpaceX’s Starlink internet network.
For the first time, SpaceX tested Starship’s satellite deployment system. The spacecraft carried 10 dummy payloads, similar in size and weight to the company’s next-generation Starlink satellites.
