SpaceX’s Starship Breaks Up Mid-Flight, Flights Diverted to Avoid Debris
Starship Breaks Apart Mid-Flight
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft suffered a mid-flight breakup, forcing airlines to divert flights to avoid falling debris. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily redirected aircraft around the affected area, with flight tracking data showing at least 20 rerouted flights.
Cause of the Failure
Elon Musk’s company successfully recovered its first-stage booster, but the uncrewed Starship prototype, designed for future Mars missions, was lost. Musk attributed the failure to a potential oxygen or fuel leak near the engine firewall, pledging improvements like fire suppression and expanded venting to prevent future issues.
Mission Details and Lessons Learned
Starship’s mission, its seventh test flight, carried 10 dummy satellites but ended abruptly eight minutes after launch from Texas. SpaceX called the event a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” and emphasized that lessons from the test would enhance the spacecraft’s reliability.
Competition in the Space Race
Meanwhile, Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket, advancing the competitive race for commercial space exploration. Musk humorously likened their rivalry to the characters in the film Step Brothers.