Elon Musk talks 'success and guaranteed entertainment' as SpaceX's Starship explodes in flight test

Elon Musk has responded to SpaceX's Starship rocket explosion with a message. The uncrewed rocket, carrying a test payload of mock satellites, broke up in mid-air minutes after launching from Texas, scattering debris over the Gulf of Mexico and forcing airlines to alter flight paths. The incident occurred eight minutes after liftoff from SpaceX's South Texas facility.Musk shared video footage of the rocket's disintegration on social media platform X (earlier Twitter).


Sharing the video on X, Musk wrote: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed! ✨”

In a statement to Reuters, SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot also confirmed that the ship was lost. He said: "We did lose all communications with the ship - that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage.”
The last time a Starship upper stage failed was in March 2024, during re-entry over the Indian Ocean. This incident forced airlines to alter flight paths over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid falling debris.
The latest failure occurred just a day after Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket into orbit.
The Starship upper stage, standing 2 meters (6.56 feet) taller than earlier versions, was described by SpaceX as a "new generation ship with significant upgrades" in a mission briefing before the test. It was intended to make a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately an hour after launching from Texas.
According to Elon Musk, an initial analysis of the failure indicated that an internal liquid oxygen fuel leak caused a pressure buildup, ultimately resulting in the rocket's breakup.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may launch a mishap investigation into the recent SpaceX Starship rocket breakup, potentially grounding the program and delaying Musk's launch goals.
The investigation may focus on whether any debris from the explosion fell outside the designated hazard zone or posed a risk to populated areas. This investigation can significantly impact Musk's plan to conduct at least 12 Starship test launches this year.
“Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month,” Musk noted.