SpaceX’s Starship Spins Out of Control and Explodes

Abdullah Mustapha

March 7, 2025

On Thursday, SpaceX’s Starship lost control and started spinning just as it reached space. The malfunction caused major flight disruptions in Florida due to falling debris concerns.

SpaceX Starship Faces Another Setback as Flight Ends in Explosion

SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft. Later, the company confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Starship had exploded. They used their usual phrase, calling it “a rapid unscheduled disassembly.” This meant debris would likely fall along its planned path.

FAA Response and Flight Delays

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reacted quickly. It restricted airspace over southern Florida and issued ground stops at major airports. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach were all affected. The FAA website showed delays as far as Philadelphia and Newark.

Starship initially flew as expected. But about 20 seconds before engine cutoff, several engines failed. Then, the ship began to spin out of control. Dan Huot, a SpaceX webcast host, described it as a major issue.

“We have more to learn about this vehicle,” Huot said during the live broadcast.

Another Failed Test for Starship

This was the second Starship flight in a row to end in an explosion. It’s a serious setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious space plans.

SpaceX had investigated a similar failure just weeks earlier. That explosion scattered debris over the Caribbean. The FAA launched a review and SpaceX made adjustments. Still, the latest test ended the same way.

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“We’ve gained experience handling these incidents,” Huot noted. He explained that safety measures were in place, including debris response areas and coordination with air traffic control.

What’s Next for Starship?

Starship is designed to be the largest and most powerful reusable rocket. Its success is crucial for SpaceX’s long-term goals. These include reducing spaceflight costs and making missions to the Moon and Mars possible.

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Despite the failure, the test had one success. The Super Heavy booster performed a controlled descent and landed safely. This is an important step toward SpaceX’s goal of full rocket reusability.

Chris Gebhardt, SpaceX’s communications manager, highlighted this achievement. He said the sonic booms from the booster’s return were like “a spaceship telling everybody it wants to be reused.”

SpaceX’s Mars Ambitions

SpaceX had big plans for this mission. They wanted to deploy mock Starlink satellites and test Starship’s reentry. Engineers had removed some protective heat tiles to study stress resistance. But Starship never made it that far.

Elon Musk sees Starship as the key to Mars colonization. He aims to send one million people to the Red Planet and build a self-sustaining city there. The vehicle is also crucial for NASA’s Artemis program, which will return humans to the Moon.

SpaceX is already analyzing data from this flight to find the cause of failure. They will make improvements before the next launch.

Failures are part of SpaceX’s process. Each test teaches them something new. Starship’s journey is tough, but SpaceX remains determined to push forward.

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Businessinsider