SpaceX lost communication with its powerful Starship rocket over the Gulf of Mexico after its launch on Thursday. SpaceX official Dan Huot acknowledged the failure and compared it to a similar incident in January. “We lost contact with the ship, just like last time,” he said. In that earlier mission, the rocket’s upper stage exploded over the Caribbean, leaving debris scattered.

Shortly after the recent failure, several videos surfaced on social media showing fireball-like debris streaking through the dusk skies near South Florida and the Bahamas.

Booster Successfully Caught Despite Setback

Although the mission did not go as planned, SpaceX successfully recovered the booster stage. Using robotic arms known as “chopsticks,” the launch tower caught the booster, marking the third time SpaceX achieved this complex maneuver.

Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/OL7moLdZ2u

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 6, 2025

Meanwhile, the upper stage faced problems. Live footage showed it tumbling out of control before SpaceX lost the signal. About 40 minutes after the launch, the company ended its livestream.

Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/JFeJSdnQ5x

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 6, 2025

Challenge for Musk Amid Government Reforms

The failure could bring new scrutiny to Elon Musk and his SpaceX program. Currently, Musk is in Washington, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) as part of President Donald Trump’s reform efforts.

Starship lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, shortly after 5:30 PM (2330 GMT). It remains the world’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle.

Florida Airports Disrupt Operations

The explosion affected air travel across Florida. Several major airports, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami International, temporarily halted operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that flights were delayed by up to 45 minutes due to “space launch debris.”

Starship’s Role in Future Space Missions

This marked Starship’s eighth orbital mission, all of which have been uncrewed. The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket is about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. Designed for full reusability, it plays a key role in Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars.

NASA also plans to use a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for the Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the Moon this decade.

Following Starship’s last failure on January 16, the FAA grounded the rocket and initiated a cleanup operation for debris that fell over the Turks and Caicos Islands.