Starship explodes in ‘meteor shower’ of debris

Elon Musk’s giant rocket suffered a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” during the latest test launch.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded during a test flight, resulting in the loss of the spacecraft, the company’s representatives confirmed. Videos captured by observers show pieces of the spacecraft breaking apart and burning as they fell, creating a spectacular scene reminiscent of a meteor shower.

The test flight, conducted Thursday afternoon at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, was intended to showcase the rocket’s capabilities, including carrying ten dummy satellites into orbit.

While the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch pad and was caught by the launch tower’s mechanical arms – an achievement previously accomplished only once – the Starship spacecraft encountered engine shutdowns during ascent.

Just saw the most insane #spacedebris #meteorshower right now in Turks and Caicos ⁦@elonmusk⁩ what is it?? pic.twitter.com/a7f4MbEB8Q

— Dean Olson (@deankolson87) January 16, 2025

Communication was lost approximately eight and a half minutes into the flight, culminating in what the company describes as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” of the spacecraft.

STARSHIP DEBRIS OVER THE CARRIBEAN… pic.twitter.com/JlgDV8FujQ

— TOMMYTGME (@RAZORTOMMYCUTS) January 17, 2025

“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about the ship,” SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot said about the incident. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle.”

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared one of the videos on social media but has yet to confirm if it was his rocket behind the display or comment on the incident.

The setback comes during a competitive period in the private space industry. On the same day, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although the rocket’s upper stage successfully reached orbit, its first-stage booster failed to land on a recovery ship, resulting in its destruction.

At 400 feet (123 meters), SpaceX’s Starship is the world’s largest and most powerful rocket. The company, led by CEO Elon Musk, envisions using Starship for deploying Starlink satellites and ultimately carrying crews to the Moon and Mars.