SpaceX's Starship megarocket experienced a fiery explosion shortly after stage separation during its seventh test flight. While the Super Heavy booster returned to Starbase successfully, the Ship upper stage broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean. Elon Musk attributed the failure to a likely fuel/oxygen leak that caused a pressure overload and fire.
SpaceX's ambitious Starship megarocket experienced a dramatic failure during its seventh test flight on January 16, 2025. The two stages of the vehicle, the Super Heavy booster and the Ship upper-stage spacecraft, separated as planned, with Super Heavy successfully returning to Starbase and being caught by the launch tower's 'chopstick' arms. However, the Ship encountered problems shortly after separation, breaking apart over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff.
Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, stated on social media that the likely cause of the explosion was a leak in the oxygen/fuel system above the ship's engine firewall. This leak, according to Musk, generated excessive pressure that overwhelmed the vent capacity, ultimately leading to a fire in the aft section of the Ship and a rapid unscheduled disassembly. SpaceX is conducting a thorough investigation, in collaboration with the FAA, to pinpoint the exact cause of the anomaly and implement corrective measures for future Starship flights.While the failure is a setback, SpaceX remains optimistic about the future of Starship. Musk indicated that the company aims to push the next launch no later than next month, incorporating lessons learned from this test flight. SpaceX emphasized that the Starship remained within its designated launch corridor, ensuring public safety on land, water, and in the air. The FAA confirmed that they briefly slowed and diverted aircraft in the vicinity of the debris fall, but normal operations were quickly restored
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