Looks like no warping of the booster engines seen this time after capture. Are they going to fly it again?

OK - thanks to @FrankTaylor who gave me a timestamp for a photo showing the explosion, it looks like this is over 11 minutes into the flight, while the stream showed the last telemetry at 8:26 - so the stage flew for a few minutes before exploding. The FTS likely triggered after…

— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) January 17, 2025

Elie posted this and she reads the statement by SpaceX that was issued this evening.

Elon thinks they floor quickly as all debris was contained within predetermined hazard areas.

Didn't see that coming…though given their recent behavior towards any SpaceX failure it shouldn't surprise me.

Hard to say. That person's video didn't look too drastically different from the video we've seen on the ground. He's say 35000 ft so 7 miles up. Altitude at RUD was what, 100 km? 60 miles?

There just didn't much to get a sense of scale or distance. Just thinking that could look low because it could have been 25, 30, 40, 50 miles away.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE6GXMtMiJF/?igsh=eXg2eHJ1eG9vbnRi

I slowed down today’s @SpaceX booster catch, zoomed in a little, added some badass music, and a few other touches. Wow, those Raptor engines look beautiful! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/8sNYpyZR9A

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 17, 2025

Given that this is disrupting aircraft downrange, I would be wanting an investigation before I let starship fly again.

I'd want to know what kind of debris risk we're dealing with, starship is big and designed to handle reentry.

Is the explosion the result of a tank failure…

— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) January 16, 2025

ALTITUDE MATTERS!
For Starship 7 Launch the FAA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) that specified the closed airspace area around the launch, and a broader warning area under Starship’s planned path. Starship 7’s rapid unscheduled disassembly occurred over the NOTAM’d WARNING… https://t.co/ndqRC1zsij pic.twitter.com/jIaowvhBtn

— Amy (@_SFTahoe) January 17, 2025

Marcus has a nice video out, this am, noting the fire from the hinge briefly shown prior to/during the engine shut downs.


Some speculation about what tubing/pump might be the cause of a 'leak' included, but really it's all speculative. Elon reposted this…over-exuberant take:

ELON: STARSHIP 7 TEST ISSUES WERE BARELY A BUMP IN THE ROAD

“The booster flight was a success, the ship flight was 1/4 successful, hence cup being ~5/8 full.

New ship forward flaps, higher thrust engines and tile adherence on ascent were tested.

Improved heat shield… pic.twitter.com/DNzWixBHDz

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 17, 2025

Elon's initial take is probably what we will learn is confirmed in a few weeks:

Wow! That must have been quite a rapid pressure increase to exceed the capacity of these vents.

I was always curious whether or not fire suppression was added on the ship at the same time it was added to the booster. Never saw any indication that it was pic.twitter.com/hD88o1Rk2B

— Zack Golden (@CSI_Starbase) January 17, 2025

Maybe 7 wasn't coming in faster than 5.

Catches: Starship 5 vs Starship 7

What an amazing time to be alive. Such an exciting future ahead. pic.twitter.com/18OiXLu5Vh

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) January 17, 2025

TexAgs91 said:

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Looks like no warping of the booster engines seen this time after capture. Are they going to fly it again?

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I think they said a few months ago that the first one they'd consider re-flying will be later this spring/summer at the earliest (meaning not this one or the next one to launch)? I do hope they fly at least a few more engines again. The booster limits/operation/production for the current iteration they seem to have figured out at this point.

nortex97 said:

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Wow.

Starship 33 breakup and reentry seen over Turks and Caicos Islands https://t.co/tchnglCbuE

— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) January 16, 2025

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looks like the scene from Andor when they are leaving he planet

I'm kinda surprised Elon hasn't come out and just said,
"This was an off nominal test of a new payload deployment system."

ATC recordings and some videos from airplanes when this happened

There's a lot that is wrong about this breathless woman screaming her analysis

Amy said:

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Why was this airspace not CLOSED to begin with?

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Because SpaceX and the FAA calculate what Starship's ALTITUDE will be along its path. Starship was in already in SPACE (~90 miles above the earth) when it exploded.

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Not quite space. You can see in this video there's enough atmosphere to provide drag on the debris. It explodes outward and experiences drag.

Just saw the @SpaceX launch from the Disney Treasure!!! @elonmusk @DisneyCruise pic.twitter.com/kkaDk4swBB

— evenstar7479 (@evenstar7479) January 16, 2025

Amy said:

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ROCKETS TRAVEL IN SPACE & AIRLINERS FLY IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Most airliners have a max service ceiling of 41,000 feet or ~7 miles above the earth. The explosion, while spectacular, posed no immediate danger to planes far, far below. It occurred more than 83 miles above them!

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This is just silly. Yes, the altitude of the explosion is far above aircraft but since there is drag, debris is pulled downwards from its safe trajectory into the lower atmosphere because of its ballistic coefficient. (a higher ballistic coefficient means the object is more massive compared to its cross section, which it would be before the explosion, and would experience less drag. After ship is broken up into pieces each piece experiences more drag)

Amy said:

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PLAN ACTIVATED
What happens next? SpaceX notifies the FAA of Starship 7s rapid unscheduled disassembly, the FAA activates the warning area, & ATC follows normal procedures and vectors planes out of or around the Warning zone airspacelong before any debris could possibly fall to the altitude of a plane below. These calculations are done, and contingency plans made, in advance. The FAA doesn't HOPE for the safety of the airliners, it KNOWS they will be safe, by DESIGN.

Anytime some airspace is restrictedTFRs can be issued for the President's movement, the SuperBowl, Military airspaceit can create delays. Since this was NOTAM'd prior to the launch, airlines can choose to flight plan around the warning area, or carry extra contingency fuel to hold, or plan to divert if required. From a pilot's perspective, this is the same type of contingency planning we do for weather, like thunderstorms. Today a few planes rerouted, a few held, a few experienced ground stops. To put it in context, a few DOZEN planes were effected today whereas the average Houston Thunderstorm, or a Presidential fundraiser typically create HUNDREDS of delays…

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Pilots aren't told "Quick! Divert!" because of a president coming into the area or even a weather event. These are known days or at most hours in advance. Not the case with a rocket explosion where they would have minutes to react.

I don't know if there were notams in the area. Hopefully there were. But that does not close an airspace. TFRs close an airspace. I doubt they would have posted a TFR for this.

That doesn't sound good. Although there may have been some over reaction by ATC... 99 minutes to wait for the debris to clear? No

TexAgs91 said:

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I don't know if there were notams in the area. Hopefully there were. But that does not close an airspace. TFRs close an airspace. I doubt they would have posted a TFR for this.

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It appears to be within the NOTAM'd hazard zone. pic.twitter.com/gDZ750CXpe

— Dave Pifke (@dpifke) January 16, 2025

"The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling. Normal operations have resumed.

A Debris Response Area is activated only if the space vehicle experiences an anomaly with debris falling outside of the identified closed…

— Adrian Beil (@BCCarCounters) January 17, 2025

TexAgs91 said:

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There's a lot that is wrong about this breathless woman screaming her analysis

Amy said:

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Why was this airspace not CLOSED to begin with?

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Because SpaceX and the FAA calculate what Starship's ALTITUDE will be along its path. Starship was in already in SPACE (~90 miles above the earth) when it exploded.

---

Not quite space. You can see in this video there's enough atmosphere to provide drag on the debris. It explodes outward and experiences drag.

Just saw the @SpaceX launch from the Disney Treasure!!! @elonmusk @DisneyCruise pic.twitter.com/kkaDk4swBB

— evenstar7479 (@evenstar7479) January 16, 2025

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That "breathless woman" is a commercial airline pilot and the altitude of the ship was known at the time of the explosion. It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

hph6203 said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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There's a lot that is wrong about this breathless woman screaming her analysis

Amy said:

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Why was this airspace not CLOSED to begin with?

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Because SpaceX and the FAA calculate what Starship's ALTITUDE will be along its path. Starship was in already in SPACE (~90 miles above the earth) when it exploded.

---

Not quite space. You can see in this video there's enough atmosphere to provide drag on the debris. It explodes outward and experiences drag.

Just saw the @SpaceX launch from the Disney Treasure!!! @elonmusk @DisneyCruise pic.twitter.com/kkaDk4swBB

— evenstar7479 (@evenstar7479) January 16, 2025

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That "breathless woman" is a commercial airline pilot and the altitude of the ship was known at the time of the explosion. It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

---

Ok, I have work experience at NASA, a MS in Physics, a pilot's license and 10 years in aviation weather and flight planning.

ETA:

Quote:

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It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

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Question: When it exploded at 146km over the earth's surface, did the resulting debris disappear? Was it the explosion that ATC was warning pilots about, or was it the debris?

Liftoff of Starship's seventh flight test. The Super Heavy booster utilized flight proven hardware for the first time, reusing a Raptor engine from the fifth flight test pic.twitter.com/v4C4ZJ36If

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 17, 2025

Not just any engine.
Raptor serial number Pi 314

Edit to add... That video is 1st Class Rocket Porn!

Wonder which of the engines failed to relight on the boost back burn.

Apparently one commercial flight didn't have enough fuel to delay or divert course and left the pilot to decide on flying through the debris zone or not.

From the FAA: "The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on Jan. 16. There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of…

— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) January 17, 2025

Quote:

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to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.

During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas."

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PJYoung said:

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From the FAA: "The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on Jan. 16. There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of…

— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) January 17, 2025

Quote:

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to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.

During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas."

---

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First I have heard of the property damage reports. Anybody got any links? If the majority of the videos from T&C being posted are from folks on or near Grace Bay Beach in Provo, I am assuming the damage might have been in South Caicos, Grand Turk, or Salt Cay.

txags92 said:

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PJYoung said:

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From the FAA: "The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on Jan. 16. There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of…

— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) January 17, 2025

Quote:

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to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.

During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas."

---

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First I have heard of the property damage reports. Anybody got any links? If the majority of the videos from T&C being posted are from folks on or near Grace Bay Beach in Provo, I am assuming the damage might have been in South Caicos, Grand Turk, or Salt Cay.

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At first glance it seems suspect but we will see.

TexAgs91 said:

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hph6203 said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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There's a lot that is wrong about this breathless woman screaming her analysis

Amy said:

---

Why was this airspace not CLOSED to begin with?

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Because SpaceX and the FAA calculate what Starship's ALTITUDE will be along its path. Starship was in already in SPACE (~90 miles above the earth) when it exploded.

---

Not quite space. You can see in this video there's enough atmosphere to provide drag on the debris. It explodes outward and experiences drag.

Just saw the @SpaceX launch from the Disney Treasure!!! @elonmusk @DisneyCruise pic.twitter.com/kkaDk4swBB

— evenstar7479 (@evenstar7479) January 16, 2025

---

That "breathless woman" is a commercial airline pilot and the altitude of the ship was known at the time of the explosion. It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

---

Ok, I have work experience at NASA, a MS in Physics, a pilot's license and 10 years in aviation weather and flight planning.

ETA:

Quote:

---

It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

---

Question: When it exploded at 146km over the earth's surface, did the resulting debris disappear? Was it the explosion that ATC was warning pilots about, or was it the debris?

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Is 146km space or not quite space?

Probably some Dem with a beach house on Provo threw some scrap metal down in the yard and claimed it was Elon's fault

Bondag said:

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bmks270 said:

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Apparently one commercial flight didn't have enough fuel to delay or divert course and left the pilot to decide on flying through the debris zone or not.

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Why is that a Space X issue? As said earlier when it rains in Dallas dozens of planes are rerouted to Houston. At least with a launch you know that is a possibility vs a pop up storm where you thought you could get to destination and are diverted.

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How much notice are pilots given that it will be raining in Dallas?

hph6203 said:

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TexAgs91 said:

---

hph6203 said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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There's a lot that is wrong about this breathless woman screaming her analysis

Amy said:

---

Why was this airspace not CLOSED to begin with?

EXPLOSION IN SPACE
Because SpaceX and the FAA calculate what Starship's ALTITUDE will be along its path. Starship was in already in SPACE (~90 miles above the earth) when it exploded.

---

Not quite space. You can see in this video there's enough atmosphere to provide drag on the debris. It explodes outward and experiences drag.

Just saw the @SpaceX launch from the Disney Treasure!!! @elonmusk @DisneyCruise pic.twitter.com/kkaDk4swBB

— evenstar7479 (@evenstar7479) January 16, 2025

---

That "breathless woman" is a commercial airline pilot and the altitude of the ship was known at the time of the explosion. It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

---

Ok, I have work experience at NASA, a MS in Physics, a pilot's license and 10 years in aviation weather and flight planning.

ETA:

Quote:

---

It was at 146km. It wasn't in "not quite space" it was about 4 airliner altitudes into space.

---

Question: When it exploded at 146km over the earth's surface, did the resulting debris disappear? Was it the explosion that ATC was warning pilots about, or was it the debris?

---

Is 146km space or not quite space?

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That's well above the Karman Line at 100 km.

And 146 km is almost 88 miles for those curious.

If it was flight terminated at 146 km it was in space and the debris reentered to burn up or partially burn up. Thats also higher than Columbia was when she broke up. That happened under 100km.

There's some debris washing up already