SpaceX catches Super Heavy booster on Starship Flight 7 test but loses upper stage (video, photos)

[Admin]

SpaceX pulled off a launch-tower catch of Starship's Super Heavy booster during a test flight today (Jan. 16) but lost the vehicle's upper stage.

SpaceX catches Super Heavy booster on Starship Flight 7 test but loses upper stage (video, photos) : Read more

 

[William Wolff]

I did notice that there was some metal peeled away and fluttering on the left side of the skin during lift off.

 

[ChrisA]

Today we saw a kind of symmetry.

Blue Origin's NG-1 launched in the early morning. The second stage reached orbit but the first stage did not land​

​

SpaceX's Starship Test 7 landed the first stage but lost the second stage.​

All on the same day

 

[Unclear Engineer]

So where did this StarShip end up? It obviously was not intended to burn up completely during reentry. But, if it lost attitude control, maybe it did mostly burn up or at least disassemble on reentry if it was not flying heat shield first.

Have there been any reports of space debris? Edit: from another source: "Video soon appeared on social media showing what may be debris from the vehicle burning up and falling over the Turks and Caicos." The video clearly shows that the Ship exploded and reentered in fragments. If any made it to the surface, they are now at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Will FAA call this another "mishap" and ground StarShip again?

 

[Rob77]

Will FAA call this another "mishap" and ground StarShip again?

Sadly, I think it will be labelled a mishap due to the re-entry of debris after the RUD. And unfortunately, probably wont see another test flight for a few months until FAA are satisfied, I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[Staran]

Why can I not find a video in an article which says "(...video, photos)"?

 

[Unclear Engineer]

Staran, it works for me. Click on the "see more" in the inclusions that fade out at the bottom.