Starship launch anomaly, 16 January 2025

A Super Heavy rocket booster launched a Starship upper stage for SpaceX’s seventh flight test of a fully integrated Starship, from Starbase, Texas, on 16 January 2025, at 22:37 UTC (16:37 CST).
Approximately 8 minutes into the flight test, SpaceX lost communications with the seventh Starship test vehicle. According to SpaceX, the flight test launched “a new generation ship with significant upgrades, attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster”.
Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX Starship Flight Test

[illogicmath]

As surgeons would say, the operation was a success; unfortunately, we lost the patient.

[DylanBond]

Most likely a fuel leak due to the fire on the flap and look how fast the fuel meters are dropping

[TheRealLaughingGravy]

There are some spectacular videos from various points in the Caribbean showing Starship exploding and breaking up.

[SyahmiAsyraffYT]

Those vocal skeptics (CSS and TF) are gonna have a field day with this.

[PeterLGଈ]

It's a shame that Starship failed, but that booster catch was butter. This iteration of Starship is block 2, so largely untested; I hope they got lots of useable data.

[emmanuelgarcia]

Where is the video from the ship ? Were The trajectory nominal ?

[ZeroSpawn]

SpaceX is going to get a slap in the neck. The flight termination system didn't blow the rocket up. It just broke up in the atmosphere fawk'n beautifully 🤩. Also it looked like with the engines going out one by one, it caused the ship to spin. You can see the rate of the spin increase by the speed indicator as each engine flames out.

[questtech]

Mix results for New Glenn and Starship

[DCGreenZone]

I bought this ticket to Mars before Leon went crazy.

[mauric_]

There was a fire in the flap hinge and the ch4 was nearly empty but 6000 kmh velocity were missing. So maybe a fuel leak?

[klwnkiller]

Clickbait. Same imagery that has already been shown. Nothing new here.

[JamesArthur-eg]

Blowing up tax dollars hope D.O.G.E. looks at this

[SeanLKearns]

This is what happens when you completely disregard redundancy.

[andreinikolaev]

Так будет с каждой ракетой Маска, пока не извинится. Да не буди Зверя.

[domenicorutigliano]

The flap actuator failed, the ship got wrong angle of reentry causing it the burst in flame

[andylem]

Absolutely idiotic idea with a very expected outcome

[tmuny]

What are they going to call it if they lose a crew ?! R.U.R.T.C.B.M. ! RAPID UNSCHEDULED RETURN TO CARBON-BASED MATTER !