Space

SpaceX's Latest Starship Test Ends In Explosion – Here's What We Know

SpaceX’s Starship exploded for the second time this year, this time sending debris raining over Florida.

Debris From SpaceX Rocket Rains Down On Florida

If you woke up to reports of flaming debris over Florida, you’re not alone. SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ended in another explosion on Thursday, just minutes after launch. Here's what we know (and what we don't know) as of Friday morning.

What We Know

The 403-foot rocket took off from Texas at 6:30 p.m. EST Thursday and initially seemed to be on track for a successful flight. Things quickly took a turn when the spacecraft’s engines started shutting down, sending it into an uncontrolled spin. SpaceX lost contact less than 10 minutes after launch.

Witnesses then spotted a fiery explosion, followed by streaks of wreckage raining down. It could be seen from parts of the Bahamas. This marks the second time in two months that a Starship flight has ended in flames, despite SpaceX making improvements after the last mishap. The FAA grounded flights from several Florida airports and will require an investigation before Starship flies again.

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What's Still Unclear

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX and federal investigators are working to determine exactly what went wrong, though no preliminary cause has been announced. It does not appear that weather was a factor.

It's unknown whether the rocket's self-destruct system activated or if it simply failed midflight. The spacecraft was supposed to make a controlled descent over the Indian Ocean, but it never got close.

Questions also remain about where the Starship came down, though wreckage was spotted near Cape Canaveral. Flight operations were temporarily paused at Orlando International Airport due to "space launch debris in the area," but it is unknown if any damage occurred on the ground.

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Perhaps the biggest question on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's mind: How soon will they be able to try again? Starship is key to SpaceX's long-term goals, including plans to use it for landings on the moon and Mars.

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