SpaceX’s $3 Billion Starship Explodes Mid-Flight
SpaceX Starship Experiences In-Flight Breakup During Ninth Test Flight SpaceX conducted its ninth Starship demonstration flight on Tuesday evening from Starbase, the company's launch facility in southern Texas, where residents recently voted to incorporate as an official city. The 403-foot rocket successfully lifted off but did not achieve its primary mission objectives when the spacecraft lost control and broke apart during flight. Following two previous test flights that ended in explosions, SpaceX aimed to deploy mock satellites after liftoff. This objective was not completed due to a malfunction in the payload bay door that prevented it from fully opening. The spacecraft subsequently entered an uncontrolled spin while traveling toward a planned landing zone in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX confirmed the spacecraft experienced what the company terms "rapid unscheduled disassembly," meaning it broke apart in flight. "Teams will continue to review […]
