Starship’s Eighth Test Flight Achieves 3rd Booster Catch but Ends in Ship Anomaly

SpaceX's Starship program took another significant step forward with the eighth integrated flight test of its fully reusable launch system.

Lifting off from Starbase at 5:30 p.m. Central Time, Starship and its Super Heavy booster completed several critical milestones, including a successful hot-staging separation and the third-ever booster catch, before an anomaly led to the loss of the upper stage.

A Powerful Ascent and Successful Booster Return

At T-0, the Super Heavy booster roared to life with all 33 Raptor engines firing, delivering a smooth and powerful ascent over the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately two and a half minutes into flight, Super Heavy performed a hot-staging maneuver, shutting down all but three of its Raptor engines before Starship successfully ignited its own six Raptors and separated.

Following separation, Super Heavy executed a boostback burn, relighting 11 of its Raptors as it prepared for return to Starbase. In the final moments of descent, the booster reignited 12 of its planned 13 engines before the three center Raptors carried out a precise maneuver to guide the vehicle into the tower arms at the launch site, marking the third successful catch of a Super Heavy booster.

Starship’s Anomaly During Ascent

While Starship initially continued its ascent on a nominal trajectory, a high-energy event in the aft section resulted in the loss of several Raptor engines before the planned completion of the ascent burn. This loss of thrust and control ultimately led to a loss of communication with the vehicle approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff.

Despite the anomaly, Starship remained within a designated launch corridor, ensuring safety for people on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Any surviving debris would have fallen within a pre-planned Debris Response Area, and SpaceX has confirmed that no toxic materials were involved, mitigating environmental risks.

Next Steps and Future Starship Flights

Following the incident, SpaceX teams immediately began working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Traffic Control (ATO), and other safety officials to implement contingency procedures. A thorough investigation will be conducted to analyze the cause of the failure, with findings used to improve future flights.

The company encourages anyone who may encounter debris to contact them via email at [email protected].

A Test of Learning and Progress

Despite the loss of the upper stage, this test flight provided valuable data that will contribute to the continued development of Starship. SpaceX remains committed to refining the vehicle’s design and reliability through iterative testing and improvements.

"As with all test flights, success comes from what we learn,...Today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability as we move toward the goal of making life multi-planetary." - SpaceX Statement

Starship is central to SpaceX’s vision for deep space exploration, including missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis program and eventual human settlement on Mars. Future test flights will aim to demonstrate full orbital capability and reusability milestones critical to Starship’s long-term mission.

With rapid development and iterative testing at the heart of SpaceX’s philosophy, the company is expected to implement design upgrades before the next Starship test flight.

Pending FAA approval and corrective actions, the next launch could take place within months.

Stay tuned for further updates.