Launch and Immediate Aftermath
's Starship embarked on its seventh test flight from , but was destroyed after an anomaly with the upper stage, losing contact 8.5 minutes into flight.
The booster successfully returned to the launch pad, caught by mechanical arms, marking a second successful catch attempt.
Investigation and Future Plans
Preliminary analysis suggests a fire caused by leaking fuel above the engine firewall led to the spacecraft's destruction. SpaceX and the are conducting an investigation.
Despite the setback, SpaceX views the loss as a minor hurdle in its plans to develop a fleet of Starships for Mars missions, with the next demo's booster and spacecraft already in testing.