SpaceX targets February for next Starship test flight after craft explosion

The incident on January 16 was probably caused by a propellant leak

SpaceX is pressing ahead with preparations for Starship’s eighth test flight, just days after Thursday’s mission ended in a fiery explosion mid-flight, causing several flights to be diverted.

The company said it was reviewing data to understand the cause of the anomaly, but founder Elon Musk posted on the X platform on Friday that the incident may have been caused by a propellant leak.

“Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity," Mr Musk said.

“Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month.”

But before Starship can lift-off again, SpaceX would first need to clear an investigation that has been opened by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US authority that issues launch licenses.

Several flights were diverted because of falling debris caused by the Starship explosion, with videos that showed orange balls of light streaking across the sky over the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and trails of smoke.

"There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos," the FAA said in a statement on Friday.

"During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas."

In the past, SpaceX has managed to secure approvals by the FAA in time for its next flight by making the necessary corrective actions issued by the authority after it completes an investigation.

The quick turnaround is one of the reasons why this was Starship's seventh test flight in less than two years.

Unlike traditional aerospace companies, SpaceX has a strategy of rapid iterative development, where it builds and tests rockets quickly, using real flights to gather data and make improvements – like how it did with its flagship rocket Falcon 9, which has a very high success rate.

The technique has helped the company achieve several milestones in the development of Starship, including bringing back the Super Heavy Booster and the Starship spacecraft back safely and catching the booster mid-air using mechanical arms on a launch tower.

SpaceX catches its Starship rocket system's Super Heavy booster in mid-air using the 'Mechazilla' mechanical arms on October 13, 2024. EPA / SpaceX

This flight was being carried out to help prove Starship's ability to deploy payloads into space. It was carrying 10 mock Starlink satellites. It was also meant to test new structural upgrades made on the Starship.

SpaceX has been working to develop Starship for years, aiming to create a fully reusable rocket system capable of carrying large payloads and crew to destinations such as the Moon, Mars and beyond.

It has a $2.89 billion contract with Nasa to land astronauts on the surface of the Moon using a Starship landing system. But Mr Musk's ultimate goal with the Starship fleet is to make life multi-planetary.

Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi and Space, told The National on Saturday, that there are still several steps SpaceX could take before starting commercial operations.

"One could be payload refinement, where they test various payload types and weights to validate Starship's adaptability for diverse commercial and government missions," he said.

"Another could be orbital maneouvers, which focuses on demonstrating orbital refuelling and docking capabilities, critical for missions to the Moon and Mars."

He said that the company also needs to validate the reusability of the rocket, which would require "multiple launches and landings to confirm rapid turnaround and cost-efficiency".