Hawthorne, CA, February 24, 2025 – SpaceX announced Monday that last month’s catastrophic Starship explosion was the result of a cascading series of events triggered by propellant leaks.
The company stated that the issue, which led to sustained fires and a loss of communication with the vehicle, has been addressed ahead of an anticipated eighth test flight that could launch as early as Friday.
According to SpaceX, the mishap occurred during a January test flight intended to evaluate upgrades on both the Super Heavy booster and Starship. While the flight initially proceeded smoothly - with the booster separating and being successfully caught by the launch-and-catch tower in Texas - problems began approximately two minutes after Starship ignited its rocket engines to achieve orbit.
A flash was observed in the aft section near one of the Raptor vacuum engines, and onboard sensors detected a pressure increase indicative of a propellant leak. Shortly thereafter, another flash occurred, and sustained fires broke out in that section. The resulting fires forced all but one of Starship’s engines to shut down in a controlled sequence, eventually triggering the automatic in-flight abort system. This system, activated due to the fires and the subsequent communications blackout, led to the self-destruction of the vehicle.
The explosion produced a dramatic visual display over the Turks and Caicos islands, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to divert several flights as a precaution. SpaceX reported that all debris fell within the pre-planned Debris Response Area, although local residents captured images of debris on nearby beaches, and at least one vehicle sustained minor damage.
In response to the incident, SpaceX has implemented several modifications. The company has revised the fuel line configurations, adjusted the temperature settings of the propellant, added extra vents, and installed a new purge system to reinforce the affected aft section against future propellant leakage.
SpaceX is currently awaiting either the official closure of the FAA’s “mishap investigation” or special authorization to proceed with the upcoming test flight while the inquiry continues. This marks the first time the company has been subject to such an investigation while CEO Elon Musk and his team, including members of his Department of Government Efficiency, are actively engaging with U.S. government agencies.
The company did not immediately comment further when reached for additional details.
SpaceX will launch the Starlink 11-10 mission aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 02:00 UTC on February 11, 2025. The launch will deploy another batch of satellites to expand SpaceX’s global internet coverage.
A SpaceX Starship exploded minutes after launch from Texas, forcing airline reroutes over the Gulf of Mexico and setting back Elon Musk’s rocket program.
A SpaceX power outage disrupted mission control during a historic private spacewalk, raising concerns over safety, transparency, and potential conflicts of interest.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reached another major milestone, with his net worth surpassing $400 billion. This achievement comes on the back of a significant rise in Tesla's stock this year and the growing valuation of his space exploration company, SpaceX.
French President Emmanuel Macron told U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that Europe is ready to increase defence spending but stressed the need for strong U.S. involvement in securing a Ukraine peace deal.
The Trump administration has revoked a Biden-era policy requiring the U.S. government to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons, officials confirmed on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia is not opposed to Europe’s involvement in U.S.-Russia peace talks on Ukraine but noted that Brussels had long refused dialogue with Moscow.
A federal judge denied the Associated Press' request to restore full White House access after President Donald Trump's administration barred its reporters for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name.
Dozens of Venezuelan migrants boarded small boats from Gardi Sugdub island in Panama on Monday, setting off on a reverse journey toward Colombia, giving up on reaching the United States.
A recent discovery has revealed that ancient artifacts from the Treasure of Villena were crafted using metal from meteorites, offering new insights into early metalworking techniques in the Iberian Peninsula.
Polish startup Clone Robotics has unveiled Protoclone, the world’s first anatomically accurate humanoid robot, featuring artificial muscles, bones, and joints that enable lifelike movements.
A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, injuring 18 people. Officials are investigating whether strong winds and snow played a role in the incident.
Berlin, February 21, 2025 – German citizens will head to the polls on Sunday, February 23, for a snap general election after the coalition government collapsed late last year.
San Francisco, CA, February 24, 2025 – Anthropic has launched Claude 3.7 Sonnet, a new frontier AI model that offers users unprecedented control over its reasoning process.
Mountain View, CA, February 24, 2025 – In a move to bolster account security and curb global SMS abuse, Google is set to phase out its SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) option for Gmail users, according to a report by Forbes.
Geneva, February 24, 2025 – A new analysis by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency, forecasts a significant rise in both breast cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide by 2050.
Shanghai, February 24, 2025 – Tesla Inc. is preparing a software update for its Chinese customers that will enable advanced driving-assistance features similar to its full self-driving (FSD) capabilities available in the United States.
Cupertino, CA, February 24, 2025 – Apple Inc. announced on Monday plans to add 20,000 new US jobs and produce AI servers domestically as part of a $500 billion investment over the next four years.
French President Emmanuel Macron told U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that Europe is ready to increase defence spending but stressed the need for strong U.S. involvement in securing a Ukraine peace deal.
The Trump administration has revoked a Biden-era policy requiring the U.S. government to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons, officials confirmed on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia is not opposed to Europe’s involvement in U.S.-Russia peace talks on Ukraine but noted that Brussels had long refused dialogue with Moscow.
A federal judge denied the Associated Press' request to restore full White House access after President Donald Trump's administration barred its reporters for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name.
Dozens of Venezuelan migrants boarded small boats from Gardi Sugdub island in Panama on Monday, setting off on a reverse journey toward Colombia, giving up on reaching the United States.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment