SpaceX Starship Explodes Over the Atlantic Ocean During 7th Test Flight

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Jakarta – SpaceX faced a setback during the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket. The launch, conducted from Starbase in South Texas on Thursday evening local time (January 16, 2025), ended in disaster when the Starship exploded into countless fragments while re-entering the atmosphere over the Caribbean.

The 123-meter-tall vehicle successfully launched and achieved stage separation. The first stage booster, called Super Heavy, returned to Starbase and was dramatically caught by the launch tower’s “chopsticks” arms.

However, around eight minutes into the flight, SpaceX lost contact with the upper part of the Starship, known as the Ship. The exact cause of the issue remains unclear, but what is certain is that the Ship exploded violently.

The 52-meter-tall spacecraft blew up over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos Islands about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, creating a spectacular sky show witnessed by many in the area.

Numerous netizens shared photos and videos of the event on X.com.

SpaceX confirmed the explosion in a statement posted on X.com. The company referred to the incident as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” a sarcastic term often used to describe a rocket explosion, “during its ascent burn.”

“The team will continue reviewing data from today’s test flight to better understand the root cause of the issue,” the company wrote. “With tests like these, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help improve Starship’s reliability.”

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has yet to comment on the incident.

It remains unclear if anyone was injured in the event. Given the proximity of debris to the Caribbean islands, the possibility cannot be ruled out.

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