The first Starship flight test of 2025 flew with ambitious goals: seeking to repeat our previous success of launching and catching the world’s most powerful launch vehicle while putting a redesigned and upgraded Starship through a rigorous set of flight demonstrations.
It served as a reminder that development testing, by definition, can be unpredictable.
On its seventh flight test, Starship successfully lifted off from Starbase in Texas at 4:37 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 16. For the second time ever, the Super Heavy booster returned to the launch site and was caught by the tower. But before Starship could reach space, a fire developed in the aft section leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.
As always, success comes from what we learned, and this flight test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary.
It served as a reminder that development testing, by definition, can be unpredictable.
On its seventh flight test, Starship successfully lifted off from Starbase in Texas at 4:37 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 16. For the second time ever, the Super Heavy booster returned to the launch site and was caught by the tower. But before Starship could reach space, a fire developed in the aft section leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.
As always, success comes from what we learned, and this flight test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary.
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DiversiónTranscripción
00:00Flight directors, go for launch.
00:15T-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
00:20We have launch.
00:40Vehicle in check.
00:55Max Q.
01:00Boost engine cutoff.
01:06Stage separation.
01:12Who's prepped for startup?
01:28The launch team is go for tower catch.
01:31Go for booster return.
01:51Go for launch.
02:20Booster landing part shutdown.
02:25Mechazilla has popped the booster.
02:41It looks like we have lost ship.