SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded in a fireball after splashing down in the Indian Ocean on Friday, capping what the company described as a successful test flight of its next-generation spacecraft.
The massive rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas at around 6:30 PM EST and flew for around 66 minutes before the upper-stage Starship reentered the atmosphere, performed its landing burn, and reached its planned splashdown zone.
Seconds after touching the water, the vehicle tipped over and burst into flames, footage from SpaceX’s livestream shows.
The explosion was not considered a failure, as the spacecraft was not designed to be recovered from the ocean. Many previous Starship test flights have also ended with the vehicle exploding during reentry or landing attempts, but SpaceX treats these incidents as part of its rapid development program.
During the mission, the Starship deployed dummy Starlink satellites around 20 minutes after launch and tested new hardware, including heat-shield changes intended to stress the vehicle during reentry.
At least one of the spacecraft’s six engines reportedly malfunctioned during the flight, but the vehicle still completed its main objectives and reached the splashdown zone.
The Super Heavy booster separated earlier in the flight and reportedly performed a hard splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after only a handful of engines reignited for a boostback burn.
Starship is central to SpaceX’s long-term plans, including NASA’s Artemis lunar program and Elon Musk’s ambition to build a reusable transport system capable of reaching Mars. The latest test used an upgraded version of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will eventually carry satellites, cargo, and crews to the Moon and Mars.