Space X's recent test of the giant Starship rocket ended in failure minutes after liftoff from Texas. The upper stage was lost, while the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to its launchpad, receiving applause from ground control teams. The test followed the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket system's debut flight earlier that day, supported by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
Both tech moguls aim to dominate the space vehicle market, with SpaceX stating, "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will help us improve Starship's reliability." Unverified footage showed the rocket breaking up in flames, with bright lights seen over Port-Au-Prince.
Elon Musk shared a video of the incident, commenting on uncertainty in success but guaranteeing entertainment. He mentioned that "improved versions" of the ship and booster are ready for launch, despite preliminary indications of an oxygen/fuel leak during the failed test.
The launch garnered over 7.2 million views, with the Starship lifting off from Boca Chica, Texas, in its seventh test mission. Although the upper stage separated as planned, contact was lost with the ship. The FAA acknowledged the anomaly and temporarily redirected air traffic due to falling debris.
The testing setback occurred a day after a successful SpaceX launch from Florida, carrying lunar landers and a rover to the Moon—an achievement for Bezos, demonstrating years of effort to reach this stage in space exploration.