SpaceX Starship test ends in explosion off Florida's coast: What we know

ORLANDO, Fla. - SpaceX's eighth Starship test flight ended in failure after the rocket lost engines and control before exploding off Florida’s coast. The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order ground stops for multiple airports, which were lifted after about an hour and a half.

Starship encounters ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’

What we know:

SpaceX's eighth test flight of the Starship rocket ended in failure Thursday evening after the spacecraft lost several engines and ultimately lost control during ascent. 

The launch, which took place around 6:30 p.m. ET, initially succeeded in separating Starship from the Super Heavy booster. However, eight minutes into the flight, the spacecraft began losing altitude control. SpaceX engineers lost contact with the vehicle before the ascent phase was complete. 

Several minutes later, reports and footage from social media appeared to show the Starship exploding off Florida's Atlantic Coast, which SpaceX described as "a rapid unscheduled disassembly," and contact was lost. 

As a result of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure locations. Ground stops were ordered at multiple Florida airports, including Orlando International Airport (MCO), Miami International Airport (MIA), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The ground stops had all been lifted shortly after 8 p.m. ET.

The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations.

By the numbers:

The Starship launched at 6:30 p.m. ET and just over eight minutes into the flight, SpaceX reported that a few engines had cut off. 

SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft which eventually exploded at approximately 480,000 feet, or 90 miles above earth. 

The Starship reached a speed of around 12, 427 mph and any debris that would have hit the ground would have been traveling anywhere between 150-400 mph.

What is a Mishap Investigation?

Dig deeper:

Per the FAA, a mishap investigation, "is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again."

The agency has safety inspectors that monitor all phases of commercial space flight.

A division manager controls the safety inspection process while an enforcement manager makes sure regulations are followed.

"During an investigation conducted by the operator, the FAA will provide oversight to ensure the operator complies with its mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements," the agency said. "In addition, the FAA will coordinate response planning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and with Federal launch ranges operated by the U.S. Space Force, as needed."

What we don't know:

The exact reason for the Starship’s engine failure remains unclear. SpaceX has not yet released a detailed report on what caused the loss of control. It is also unknown whether the modifications made after January’s failed test contributed to or prevented a more severe malfunction. Investigators are now analyzing the debris and flight data to determine what went wrong.

The backstory:

This is the latest in a series of test flights for SpaceX’s Starship, which is being developed as a next-generation spacecraft for deep-space missions. The previous test flight on Jan. 16, 2025, also ended in failure when a fire ignited near the ship’s liquid oxygen tank, leading to an explosion. SpaceX identified a vibration issue in the propulsion system as the likely cause of that failure.

Following the January explosion, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered SpaceX to conduct a full investigation. As a result, the company made changes to the fuel lines and adjusted the fuel temperature. Modifications were also made to the rear section of the Starship, including additional vents and a new purge system.

What they're saying:

SpaceX acknowledged the failure during its live stream but emphasized that the test provided valuable data. 

"Engineers are now assessing flight data to determine the cause of the loss of control," the company stated.

"During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," the company later posted on X. "Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses. We will review the data from today's flight test to better understand root cause. As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship's reliability."

Zac Aubert runs a space news organization called the Launchpad Network. He spoke to FOX 35 about the Starship debris field.

"So it's very similar to what we saw with flight seven in the middle of January --- this debris path falling partly over the Caribbean. And one of the biggest questions people always ask is, what's the size of this debris? If it's able to make it through reentry, it can range from, you know, super-small pieces like we've seen from flight one, which fell off early in flight, to full tiles landing in the Caribbean from flight seven."

SpaceX's Starship is covered in cameras and investigators will likely have footage of the event that occurred in the engine compartment of Starship, leading to that loss of communication and telemetry, Aubert said.

"The biggest thing I always say is to keep in mind how large this vehicle is, especially for us that live down by the Space Coast. We're used to Falcon 9 and some of the other vehicles. This vehicle is on a scale larger than SLS [Space Launch System]... you're talking about a 15 to 17 story-tall building that is flying through the air autonomously." Aubert explained.

Aubert said there was some sort of event that caused a cascading failure.

"Starship started the tumble, and once you start a tumble in space, it's very hard to recover from that, especially if you're going through an engine failure. And that's ultimately what led to tonight's event," he said. 

Following the previous January failure, SpaceX explained the malfunction in a report.

"The most probable root cause for the loss of the ship was identified as a harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing, which led to increased stress on hardware in the propulsion system."

Still, SpaceX remains optimistic. 

"Each test provides critical insight into Starship’s capabilities, and we continue to iterate and improve," a SpaceX spokesperson said.

What's next:

Despite the failure, SpaceX’s launch tower, known as Mechazilla, successfully caught the returning Super Heavy booster for the third time. The company will conduct a review before revealing the cause of the failure.

The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle. 

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