World News

Elon Musk’s Mega Rocket EXPLODES Mid-Air — What Went So Horribly Wrong?

Elon Musk’s ambitious mission to colonize Mars suffered a fresh blow on Tuesday when SpaceX’s latest Starship mega-rocket test flight ended in failure. Launched from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the spacecraft lost control mid-air and exploded over the Indian Ocean.

The launch, which began at 6:36 p.m. local time, marked the ninth test flight of the Starship program — and once again highlighted the challenges SpaceX faces in developing the world’s most powerful rocket.

Fuel Leak Causes Loss of Control

Shortly after reaching space, Starship encountered a critical issue. The spacecraft failed to open its payload bay doors, which prevented the release of dummy Starlink satellites onboard. Just 30 minutes into the flight, engineers confirmed a fuel tank leak, which caused the upper stage to spin out of control. Before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the vehicle disintegrated.

The Super Heavy booster, the rocket’s lower stage with 33 engines, exploded just before its expected splashdown. Live footage showed fire erupting around the rocket as it spiraled into chaos.

Not the First Starship Failure

This isn’t the first time Starship has suffered a high-profile setback. Two previous test flights also ended in explosions, scattering debris over the Caribbean Sea and disrupting commercial air traffic.

Despite early hopes for a successful mission, the flight quickly turned into a technical catastrophe.

SpaceX Responds

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX acknowledged the failure, saying:

“As if flight testing wasn’t exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Teams will continue reviewing data and work toward our next test flight. With tests like these, success comes from what we learn.”

SpaceX maintains that these trial-and-error flights are essential in building a reliable spacecraft capable of supporting life on other planets — a vision that Elon Musk has long championed.

Read More: “Time to Crush Them!” Furious Putin Hits Back After Trump Calls Him ‘Crazy’

Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on The Ink Post. Get Latest UpdatesLatest News on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Explainers.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn and Twitter to Stay updated!

Author

  • 🖋️ Journalist | Storyteller | Researcher | Geopolitics Analyst

    From newsroom chaos to the calm of a blinking cursor, Kunal Verma has spent over five years navigating the ever-evolving world of journalism. With bylines across Bharat 24, Republic World, Jagran, and more, he’s told stories that matter—be it boardroom battles in the business world, high-stakes foreign affairs, or ground reports that hit home. When he’s not chasing headlines, Kunal can be found crafting tweets with too many drafts or sipping strong coffee.

    🗣️ Fluent in Hindi & English
    🔗 Follow him on Twitter: @thekunalverma

    View all posts

Recent Posts

300 Turkish Drones Shot Down in Minutes — Erdogan’s Drone Dream Is Dead

Pakistan relied heavily on two foreign weapons in this conflict — China’s deadly PL-15 long-range…

4 hours ago

RIC 2.0: Could This Trio Challenge America’s Global Supremacy?

Russia has openly pushed to revive the long-dormant RIC (Russia-India-China) forum. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey…

5 hours ago

‘They Just Wanted Food’: 21 Dead as Gaza Aid Mission Ends in Tragedy

What should have been a moment of hope turned into horror in Gaza on Sunday,…

5 hours ago

AI Robots and Drones in Mecca? Hajj 2025 Is Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before

The General Presidency of the Grand Mosques in Mecca and Medina has announced the deployment…

5 hours ago

6th-Gen Fighter Jet F-47 Could Change Air Wars Forever – And Trump Is Leading the Deal

According to Japanese media report, Donald Trump personally offered the F-47 during a phone conversation…

7 hours ago

EXCLUSIVE: She Built a Startup From Her Living Room—Now She’s Changing the Game for Women-Led Brands!

This isn't the story of a billion-dollar startup. It’s the story of a remote-first marketing…

8 hours ago