US starship blasts in ‘meteor shower’ of wreckages
Date
1/20/2025 6:53:33 AM
(MENAFN) SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a test flight on Thursday, resulting in the loss of the spacecraft. Videos from bystanders captured pieces of the rocket breaking apart and burning as they fell, creating a stunning meteor shower-like effect.
The test flight, which took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, was designed to demonstrate the rocket’s ability to carry ten dummy satellites into orbit. While the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch pad and was captured by the launch tower's mechanical arms – a rare achievement – the Starship spacecraft experienced engine failures during ascent. Communication was lost roughly eight and a half minutes into the flight, leading to what SpaceX called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” of the spacecraft.
SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot expressed disappointment over the spacecraft’s failure but acknowledged the experimental nature of the flight. "It was great to see the booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about the ship," he said.
Elon Musk shared footage of the explosion on social media but has not yet confirmed whether the rocket was his or commented on the incident. The explosion occurred on the same day Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, launched its New Glenn rocket, though it too faced failure when the first-stage booster didn’t land successfully.
At 400 feet (123 meters), Starship is the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, with plans to use it for deploying Starlink satellites and eventually carrying crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
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