On Thursday, SpaceX lost contact with its massive Starship rocket, just minutes following the launch. The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket lifted off from Texas shortly before sunset.
While SpaceX recovered successfully the first-stage booster using giant mechanical arms, the engines on the spacecraft atop the booster started shutting down as it streaked eastward, aiming for a controlled entry over the Indian Ocean, thousands of miles away. Contact was lost with the spacecraft as it spiraled into an uncontrollable spin.
Later in an update, SpaceX said that the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost during Starship’s ascent burn. It further added that its team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.
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