Elon Musk’s SpaceX just hit another rough patch. The Starship rocket, meant to be the future of space travel, spiraled out of control and exploded mid-flight. Flaming debris rained from the sky, forcing airports across Florida to slam the brakes on air traffic.
The launch at Boca Chica, Texas, started off strong. Millions watched live as the rocket blasted into the heavens, breaking through the atmosphere. The booster even nailed its landing, sliding right into the “chopsticks” like a well-rehearsed stunt.
Then, disaster. Ten minutes into what was supposed to be an hour-long mission, four of the six engines failed. The rocket lost control, tumbling wildly before vanishing from SpaceX’s live feed.
Dan Huot, a SpaceX commentator, summed it up bluntly. “I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not going to continue the rest of the mission today.” No sugarcoating that one.
Meanwhile, chaos unfolded in the skies over Florida. Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale airports halted flights as debris made its fiery return to Earth. Travelers were left stranded, while air traffic controllers scrambled to reroute planes.
Down in the Bahamas, stunned onlookers filmed wreckage falling toward the ocean. “We are taking cover here,” one person said as chunks of Musk’s latest ambition plummeted from the heavens.
SpaceX has yet to comment on what exactly went wrong. But one thing’s clear—sending people to Mars is going to take more than a few flashy launches.
Five Fast Facts
- SpaceX’s Starship is designed to be fully reusable, but so far, none have survived long enough to prove it.
- Elon Musk first announced plans for a Mars colony back in 2016, predicting a million settlers by 2050.
- Boca Chica, Texas, the home of Starbase, was once a quiet beach town before SpaceX turned it into a futuristic launch site.
- Florida’s airports handle over 200 million passengers a year, making ground stops a logistical nightmare.
- The “chopsticks” used to catch the booster are part of Musk’s plan to eliminate the need for ocean landings.
