SpaceX Manages Third Successful Landing of Super Heavy Booster, Yet Starship Disintegrates Again Upon Touchdown
On Thursday, SpaceX launched the Starship rocket for its eighth test flight. The mission aimed to validate the reusability aspect of the Super Heavy booster and test the Starship's capabilities in deploying mock payloads and re-entry procedures.
However, the flight ended prematurely due to an anomaly that occurred approximately eight minutes into the flight. Four of the six engines experienced premature shutdowns, causing the Starship spacecraft to enter an uncontrolled spin. Communication with the vehicle was lost at T+9 minutes and 35 seconds.
In response to the issues encountered in the seventh test flight, SpaceX implemented several corrective measures to prevent a similar fate for Flight 8. However, these measures were not enough to prevent the anomaly from occurring.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a mishap investigation following the failure of Flight 8. This is standard protocol for such incidents, and the FAA's investigation process aims to identify the root cause of the anomaly and to ensure that corrective actions are implemented to prevent it from happening again.
During the investigation period, the FAA will ground the Starship. Footage of debris re-entering the atmosphere was shared from Florida, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.
Despite the setback, the Super Heavy booster performed a boost-back maneuver and was captured by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms for the third time.
The cause of the failure in the seventh test flight was traced to a harmonic response that induced excessive stress on the propulsion system, resulting in propellant leaks and sustained fires. The outcome of the seventh test flight, conducted on January 16, 2025, was similar to Flight 8.
The Starship system consists of two stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. The primary objective of Flight Test 8 was to test the Starship's capabilities in deploying mock payloads and re-entry procedures.
It is important to note that this incident did not involve any advertisements. The search results did not provide information about the leader of the Mishap Investigation for the Starship Test Flight 8 by the Federal Aviation Administration.
SpaceX and the FAA will continue to work together to understand the root cause of the anomaly and to ensure the safety of future flights.
