Summary
The FAA and Turks and Caicos officials are investigating SpaceX’s Starship rocket test explosion, which sent debris over the northern Caribbean, forcing flight diversions.
The upgraded Starship exploded over the Bahamas eight minutes after launch, scattering fiery debris that caused intense rumbling in the Turks and Caicos.
Residents described shaking walls and loud booms, likened to a small earthquake.
No injuries were reported, but property damage is under review.
SpaceX cited a fire in the rocket’s aft section as the cause of the failure during its seventh test flight.
The first stage has basically been proven out at this point. That alone makes it revolutionary, the world’s most powerful first stage booster and it’s fully reusable. Even if the upper stage ends up being non-reusable the increase in capacity and reduction in cost is enormous.
And I see no fundamental reason why the upper stage won’t be made reusable. The first two Starship reentry tests got toasty but the rocket survived to do a precise, controlled landing in the ocean. That’s most of the way there.