TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft during its eighth test flight Thursday.
The test flight was originally set for Monday, but was delayed due to last-minute issues.
Video: SpaceX explosion shot with camera by Tampa Bay residents
“During the Starship climbing burns, the vehicle experienced rapid unplanned disassembly and lost contact,” SpaceX wrote on social media. “Our team immediately began coordinating with safety personnel and implemented pre-planned emergency response. We review data from today’s flight tests to better understand the underlying causes. As always, success comes from what we’ve learned, and today’s flights offer additional lessons to improve the reliability of our spacecraft.”
After the launch failed, the Federal Aviation Administration announced ground stops at Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Palm Beach International Airport for Space Debris. The consultation lasted until 8pm, resulting in a short departure delay.
Orlando International Airport announced it was at a short ground stop, but was lifted by 7:43pm
Tampa International Airport was not affected by the delays, but said two flights to Miami International Airport had been converted to Tampa. Flights leaving the TPA in San Juan, Puerto Rico also had to return to Tampa.
Detectives say Oldsmer’s mother accused of murdering her baby
The test flight came after the seventh attempt fell across the Caribbean, splitting the spacecraft during testing.
The eight tests followed the same trajectory as the previous flight to target previous targets that the seventh attempt failed to achieve.
Several upgrades have been made to make the spaceship more reliable, but in the end it fails again.
Residents of Madeira Beach and Tampa Bay in Tampa reported seeing an explosion in the sky.
