SpaceX Starship spirals out of control in second straight test flight failure

SpaceX’s Starship encountered a major issue during a test flight, causing it to spiral out of control in space. This is the second consecutive launch where the vehicle has faced a critical problem on its journey to orbit.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took precautionary measures by briefly halting flights into major Florida airports due to concerns about “space launch debris.” SpaceX is now required to conduct a mishap investigation following the incident.

During the flight, Starship initially appeared to be functioning normally, but at around eight minutes in, it lost multiple Raptor engines and started spiraling over the ocean. The ship ultimately broke up over the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

Elon Musk’s recent actions, including deploying employees to the FAA, have stirred controversy within the U.S. federal government. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX continues to push forward with its goal of using Starship for commercial missions.

Previous test flights have also faced challenges, with one resulting in a fiery breakup over Turks & Caicos. SpaceX conducted a mishap investigation and made improvements to prevent similar incidents, but the recent failure indicates more work is needed.

In preparation for the latest test flight, SpaceX implemented changes to enhance Starship’s fuel delivery system and propellant temperature control. The company remains committed to learning from each test flight to improve the vehicle’s performance.

The ongoing efforts to push the limits of Starship demonstrate SpaceX’s determination to ultimately achieve successful launches and landings. Despite the setbacks, the company remains focused on advancing its technology and capabilities.

This article has been updated with the FAA’s response.