SpaceX knows how to put on a show.
The company launched the seventh flight test of its Starship megarocket this afternoon from its Starbase site in South Texas. The 403-foot-tall (123-meter) vehicle successfully took off and achieved floor separation. And its first stage booster, called Super Heavy, returned to Starbase for a spectacular capture by the “wand” arms of its launch tower.
But about eight minutes into the flight, SpaceX lost contact with the Starship’s upper stage, known as the Ship. The cause of the problem is currently unknown, but one thing is certain: the ship collapsed.
The 52-meter-tall spacecraft exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos Islands about 8.5 minutes after launch, creating a spectacular air show witnessed by many people in the region.
And many of these people posted their photos and videos on X, the social networking site owned by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.
Related: SpaceX grabs Super Heavy booster during Starship Flight 7 test but loses upper stage (video, photos)
I just saw the craziest #spacedebris #meteorshower right now in Turks and Caicos @elonmusk what is it?? pic.twitter.com/a7f4MbEB8QJanuary 16, 2025
Starship Flight 7 disintegrates and reenters over the Turks and Caicos Islands pic.twitter.com/iuQ0YAy17OJanuary 16, 2025
Seas Icon Spaceship (Caribbean Sea) @SpaceX @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/1zzspKDgNUJanuary 16, 2025
This is the exact moment Ship 33 experienced a RUD. https://t.co/in2nZBWNV8 pic.twitter.com/iI7DtLiZlEJanuary 16, 2025
“The Starship experienced a rapid and unplanned disassembly during its ascent. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand the root cause. With a test like this, success comes of what we are learning, and today’s flight will help us improve the reliability of the Starship,” SpaceX said via X this evening.
“Rapid, unplanned disassembly” – SpaceX’s preferred term for explosions – is not uncommon when developing new rockets.
And SpaceX certainly won’t be discouraged by today’s results; the company is used to working fast, flying often and incorporating lessons learned during test flights into the next vehicle build. And there was a glimmer of hope today: the capture of the Super Heavy “wands,” which outlined SpaceX’s planned recovery strategy for the booster and ship.
Today’s capture is the second such problem for SpaceX, which first achieved the feat in October on Starship Flight 5.
