Musk's eighth attempt: SpaceX rocket explodes in mid-air, air traffic in Florida halted

The Starship rocket, designed by SpaceX for crewed Moon and Mars missions, exploded in mid-air during its eighth test flight. Following the accident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended flight traffic at airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando, Florida.

Footage shared on social media showed debris from the rocket explosion burning as it fell over southern Florida and the Bahamas. The FAA announced that it has launched an investigation into the area, stating that the debris scattered from the rocket poses a safety risk.  

The Starship rocket was launched on March 20 at 18:30 local time from the Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket's Super Heavy first-stage booster returned to Earth as planned and was caught in mid-air by SpaceX's launch tower. However, shortly after this success, the Starship rocket lost control, began spinning in the air, and exploded.

SpaceX announced that the final contact with the rocket was lost approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after launch. The company also stated that there were no toxic substances among the debris. Starship's eighth test flight had been canceled on March 4 due to undisclosed technical issues during the countdown.

Musk stated in a post on X that the next test flight could be attempted again within 'a day or two.' Information was also shared on the SpaceX website that the Starship team is preparing for a new attempt.

Source: SpaceX

ROCKET LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 16 EXPLODED

The Starship rocket also failed during its seventh test flight on January 16. Shortly after liftoff, contact with the rocket was lost and the upper stage disintegrated. Musk said in a statement at the time, 'An oxygen/fuel leak large enough to create pressure exceeding the venting capacity was detected in the gap above the engine firewall.'

The FAA had launched an investigation following the seventh test flight but granted the necessary permission for the eighth attempt. SpaceX aimed to use the Starship rocket for crewed Moon and Mars missions. The company is preparing for the next launch by making improvements to some components of the rocket, such as the fire suppression system.

The failure of Starship's eighth test flight has been recorded as a new obstacle on SpaceX's path to its Mars goal.