SpaceX has successfully launched the massive Starship rocket for the 8th time , and also set down the first - degree Super Heavy booster . But in a repeat of its last flight test in January , SpaceX lost the upper - stage Starship spacecraft before it could reach its targeted landing point in the Indian Ocean .
The latest flying trial run of the most muscular rocket ever to fly got afoot from SpaceX ’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica , Texas , at about 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday , March 7 .
Liftoff of Starship!pic.twitter.com / OL7moLdZ2u
& mdash ; SpaceX ( @SpaceX)March 6 , 2025
Minutes after separating from the Starship spacecraft , the Super Heavy booster return to the launch tower where it was secured by two giant mechanically skillful subdivision . This is the third time for SpaceX to achieve the feat , and permit the company to reuse the booster for future missions .
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster!pic.twitter.com / JFeJSdnQ5x
But an anomaly cause the spacecraft to spin out of control , ending its mission ahead of meter . SpaceX has landed the Starship in the Indian Ocean before , but on its last flight in January , and now on its belated test too , the spacecraft hassuffered a catastrophic loser in flight .
SpaceX issueda statementsoon after Thursday ’s mission terminate , pronounce : “ During Starship ’s ascent tan , the fomite feel a speedy unscheduled dismantling and contact lens was fall back . Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to apply pre - planned eventuality responses . We will review the data from today ’s flight trial to well understand etymon cause . As always , success comes from what we learn , and today ’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship ’s reliability . ”
An investigation revealed that January ’s personnel casualty was connect to unexpected vibrations that occurred during the flight of steps . The vibrations get extra stress on the fomite , pass to propellant leak and fires that finally caused the Starship to decompose . It ’s too other to say what die wrong in Thursday ’s delegacy .
While SpaceX engineers will be feel confident about their power to impart home the Super Heavy supporter , there is bound to be disappointment , if not concern , over the loss of the spaceship in two consecutive delegation .
NASA is hop to utilise the vehicle for the Artemis III mission , presently scheduled for 2027 , in whicha modified version of the Starship spacecraftwill put the first womanhood and the first mortal of color onto the lunar surface . There is also hope that it will be used for the first crewed deputation to Mars . SpaceX boss Elon Musk wants that to come about before the death of this decade , but some meter in the 2030s seems more potential .
