Elon Musk’s SpaceX experienced another failure on March 3, when its Starship spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff.
The launch, which took place at 5:30 p.m. CT from Starbase in Texas, marked the second attempt this year to launch dummy satellites. Just ten minutes after takeoff, the spacecraft lost contact with ground control and disintegrated mid-flight.
The flight test report revealed that the Super Heavy booster performed well during the initial ascent but encountered issues about two and a half minutes into flight. A malfunction in the aft section of the Starship caused the loss of several Raptor engines, resulting in a loss of control and communication.
The explosion grounded flights from multiple Florida airports, and social media footage showed debris falling over the Bahamas. SpaceX is reviewing the data to improve future Starship tests and ensure safety measures.
