SpaceX Starship Prototype Fails in Space, Causing Disruptions
WASHINGTON: A prototype of SpaceX’s Starship rocket failed shortly after its launch from Texas, prompting air traffic disruptions over the Gulf of Mexico. The failure set back Elon Musk’s ambitious rocket program and led to changes in flight paths for commercial airlines.
The Starship, which was carrying its first test payload of mock satellites, lost contact with SpaceX’s mission control just eight minutes after liftoff from the company’s South Texas facilities on Thursday at 5:38 pm.
According to SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot, the loss of communication with the spacecraft signaled an issue with the upper stage of the rocket. “We did lose all communications with the ship — that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage,” Huot explained. The company later confirmed that the spacecraft was lost.
In response to the potential risk of falling debris, at least 20 commercial flights around Miami International Airport were rerouted or had to alter their course, with some even being grounded, as reported by witnesses and flight tracking service FlightRadar24.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the mishap by posting a video of the debris field on X (formerly Twitter), humorously noting: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”
The Starship prototype had been upgraded, with its upper stage being 2 meters (6.56 feet) taller than previous versions. SpaceX had described it as a “new generation ship with significant upgrades” ahead of the test launch.
Despite the setback, SpaceX is expected to continue its work on the Starship program, as the company has shown resilience in the face of past challenges.
