SpaceX launched its eighth test flight of the Starship rocket on Thursday. The test flight was highlighted by the third successful catch of the Super Heavy booster, however there was also another setback as the upper stage exploded mid-flight for the second time this year.
The Starship system comprises two stages – the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. The primary objective of Flight Test 8 was to validate the performance of both stages, particularly focusing on the reusability aspect by recovering the Super Heavy booster and testing the Starship’s capabilities in deploying mock payloads and re-entry procedures.
The initial phase of the flight proceeded as planned, with the Super Heavy booster executing its ascent burn and successfully separating (hot staging) from the Starship upper stage. The booster then performed a boost-back maneuver, returning to the launch site where it was captured by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms for a third time—a technique SpaceX has seemingly already perfected.
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/JFeJSdnQ5x
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 6, 2025
Following stage separation, the Starship spacecraft ignited its six Raptor engines to continue its trajectory into the atmosphere. Approximately eight minutes into the flight, anomalies began to emerge. Four of the six engines experienced premature shutdowns, leading to a loss of attitude control. This malfunction caused the spacecraft to enter an uncontrolled spin. Subsequently, communication with the vehicle was lost at T+9 minutes and 35 seconds. Footage of debris re-entering the atmosphere were shared from Florida, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.
RIP Starship Flight 8, just caught it exploding after a few engines cut off and it losing attitude control, viewed from Titusville, FL pic.twitter.com/VBBtApjsd7
— Trevor Mahlmann (@TrevorMahlmann) March 6, 2025
This incident mirrors the outcome of the seventh test flight conducted on January 16, 2025. In that instance, the Starship spacecraft also suffered an in-flight failure due to a fire in the aft section, leading to the loss of the vehicle. Investigations traced the cause to a harmonic response that induced excessive stress on the propulsion system, resulting in propellant leaks and sustained fires. In response, SpaceX implemented several corrective measures to prevent a similar fate for Flight 8.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a mishap investigation following the failure, which is standard protocol for such incidents. The investigation aims to identify the root cause of the anomaly and to ensure that corrective actions are implemented to prevent it from happening again. During this period, the FAA will ground Starship pending the outcome of the investigation.
