SpaceX’s Starship explodes over the Atlantic Ocean Super Heavy booster lands safely during test flight Starship’s upper stage explosion witnessed near Turks and Caicos

SpaceX conducted the seventh flight test of its Starship launch vehicle on Thursday. The company called it “the most capable” Starship yet—and the only fully reusable one, according to ABC.

The incident in which a SpaceX rocket broke up after launch demonstrates the challenges the FAA will face as the number of commercial space flights increases.

The third Starship test flight last March saw the spacecraft reach its planned trajectory and fly halfway around the world before succumbing to the scorching heat of atmospheric reentry. In June, the fourth test flight ended with controlled splashdowns of the rocket's Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico and of Starship in the Indian Ocean.

Government officials in Turks and Caicos said Friday that debris from a SpaceX rocket test that went awry fell over the Caribbean islands but that there have been no reported injuries so far and only minimal damages to property.

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded shortly after liftoff on a test flight Thursday. Jan. 16, 2025. (Greg Munch/TMX)

The FAA says it has grounded the Starship vehicle pending a mishap investigation, and it’s working with SpaceX to assess reports of property damage in Turks and Caicos.

SpaceX suspects a fire may have caused its Starship to break apart during liftoff and send trails of flaming debris near the Caribbean.

No injuries have been reported from falling debris after SpaceX's Starship exploded in the sky over the Bahamas. However, the FAA has halted further test flights while it investigates.

The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, was successfully caught in the launch tower's mechanical arms for only the second time

Flawed rocket launches by SpaceX and Blue Origin still leave both companies in position to dominate the space sector.