SpaceX Suffers Setback with Starship Test Flight 7's Explosion

SpaceX's Starship rocket suffered an unexpected explosion just minutes into its seventh test flight, marking a setback for Elon Musk's ambitious rocket programme.

The failure forced airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to reroute to avoid falling debris.

Mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship—carrying its first test payload of mock satellites but no crew—approximately eight minutes after its 5:38 PM EST (22:38 GMT) liftoff from SpaceX's South Texas launch site.

The incident comes after steady progress in advancing the vehicle's capabilities, raising questions about the challenges still facing the programme.

Why SpaceX Starship Test Flight 7 Go Ka-Boom?

SpaceX is investigating the cause of Starship's mid-flight failure, with early indications pointing to an oxygen leak.

Musk shared the update on X (formerly known as Twitter), acknowledging the setback but expressing optimism for a swift relaunch.

He also outlined measures SpaceX will implement to prevent similar failures in the future.

This marks the second upper-stage failure since March 2023, when a Starship broke apart during reentry over the Indian Ocean.

Thursday's mission was the seventh Starship test since 2023 in Musk's multibillion-dollar quest to develop a rocket capable of transporting humans and cargo to Mars, as well as deploying large satellite constellations.

SpaceX's test-to-failure approach has often resulted in dramatic setbacks, but this failure occurred in a flight phase the company had previously navigated successfully.

Meanwhile, the towering Falcon Super Heavy booster executed a flawless return, slowing its descent by reigniting its Raptor engines and securing itself onto the launch tower's massive mechanical arms.

Community Reacts with Memes, Scepticism, and Encouragement

The community was widely divided in their reactions to the news.

Some questioned the speed at which the investigation was concluded.

Others were more sharp-eyed and pointed out that there was a piece of equipment that was seemingly loose during launch.

There were also those who simply posted a meme.

Although the spacecraft was ultimately lost, much of Musk's focus remained on a remarkable milestone—the booster's dramatic return and capture.

Just a minute before the explosion, SpaceX successfully used its launch tower's massive mechanical arms, known as "chopsticks," to catch the descending booster—a feat previously accomplished only once.

The booster hovered momentarily before being secured, showcasing SpaceX's growing precision in rocket recovery.

However, the triumph was short-lived, as excitement quickly turned to disappointment for both the company and the spectators gathered in southern Texas.

SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot noted:

“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship. It's a flight test. It's an experimental vehicle.”