“Image Credit: Getty Images A crew-less SpaceX Starship aircraft exploded midair during its eighth test flight on Thursday, March 6, 2025. The explosion resulted in air traffic disruptions and marked the second consecutive failed attempt for the vehicle this year. Although the liftoff had went well, Starship apparently started experiencing issues, and multiple engines in”, — write: hollywoodlife.com
Image Credit: Getty Images A crew-less SpaceX Starship aircraft exploded midair during its eighth test flight on Thursday, March 6, 2025. The explosion resulted in air traffic disruptions and marked the second consecutive failed attempt for the vehicle this year. Although the liftoff had went well, Starship apparently started experiencing issues, and multiple engines in the vehicle cut out during the livestream.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement requiring SpaceX to investigate the breakdown of its ship.
“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 FAA’s statement read. “The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions. A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.”
Below, learn everything that happened during the failed SpaceX Starship launch.
How Did the SpaceX Starship Launch Fail? SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot explained what was going on after their team lost contact with Starship.
“Once you lose enough of those center engines, you’re going to lose attitude control,” Huot said during the livestream, per CNN. “And so we did see the ship start to go into a spin, and at this point, we have lost contact with the ship.”
Huot further noted that SpaceX had “a lot of measures in place” to handle the fallout from the midair explosion, “like debris response areas, where we coordinate very closely with air traffic control.”
“We have a lot of measures put (in place) before we ever launch a rocket to make sure that we’re keeping the public safe,” Huot reassured viewers. “Those worked last time and they’re actively in work right now.”
Was There Debris From the SpaceX Starship? According to SpaceX, Starship flew within a designated launch corridor, according to CNN. SpaceX also released a statement, which read, “Any surviving debris would have fallen within the pre-planned Debris Response Area. There are no toxic materials present in the debris and no significant impacts expected to occur to marine species or water quality. If you believe you have identified a piece of debris, please contact your local authorities or the SpaceX Debris Hotline at 1-866-623-0234 or at recovery@spacex.com.”