SpaceX’s Starship explodes during test launch

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, an American space technology company founded by Elon Musk, announced that its Starship rocket exploded during a test launch.

Starship rocket explodes

SpaceX stated that its Starship rocket exploded minutes after it was launched from Texas, US, hours ago. Due to the explosion, some flights over the Gulf of Mexico were diverted to avoid debris from the rocket.

Notably, the Starship rocket was upgraded several times by a team of experts and was set to launch a group of satellites without a crew.

Upon launch, the Starship rocket lost communication with its control base eight minutes after liftoff. Amid the explosion, orange balls of light were seen across the sky over Haiti’s capital, according to Reuters.

Dan Huot, SpaceX Communications Manager, stated: “We did lose all communications with the ship – that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage.”

Elon Musk posted on X saying: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”

It is worth noting that the Starship rocket faced a few issues in March 2024 when it was returning to Earth. According to Musk, an internal leak of liquid oxygen fuel could have caused the pressure buildup and led to the rocket’s explosion.

The newly upgraded Starship rocket is 2 meters (6.56 feet) taller than previous versions, featuring new upgrades and technologies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an agency of the US Department of Transportation, will further investigate the case in the coming days.