SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship Test Flight Reaches Key Milestones, But Fails to Reach Orbit

SpaceX launched its next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket on Saturday, in a key test flight that could pave the way for missions to the moon and Mars. The uncrewed test flight was mostly successful, with several key milestones achieved, but the first stage of the rocket broke apart moments after separation from the Starship upper stage.

The nearly 400-foot-tall Starship rocket lifted off at 8 a.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase test site in Boca Chica, Texas. While the initial stages of the mission went smoothly, SpaceX ultimately lost contact with Starship roughly 10 minutes into flight, and the spacecraft likely self-detonated due to an issue mid-flight.

Viewed as a successful learning experience by SpaceX, the second failure in a row to get the Starship upper stage into space was a frustrating disappointment for Elon Musk’s rocket company and a potentially major setback for NASA, which is counting on the Starship to carry Artemis astronauts to the surface of the moon in the next few years.

SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built, and Saturday’s test flight was a key step in the development of the spacecraft. While the mission was not a complete success, SpaceX is confident that the data gathered from the test will help them make the necessary adjustments to ensure a successful launch in the future.