SpaceX Starship Explodes Again, Raising Questions About Program's Stability

The second consecutive failure of SpaceX's Starship Block 2 rocket disrupts air travel and prompts an FAA investigation.

SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during its eighth test flight, marking the second failure of the Block 2 configuration in as many launches.
The failure occurred approximately nine and a half minutes after liftoff, with the upper stage losing control due to engine shutdowns and communication loss caused by an energetic event in the aft section.
The explosion disrupted air travel in the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, delaying 171 flights, diverting 28, and temporarily grounding flights at several major airports.
The FAA has opened a mishap investigation into the incident and activated a debris response area, though no injuries or property damage have been reported so far.
The setbacks come as SpaceX works to meet ambitious goals, including supporting NASA's Artemis program and developing Starship for lunar and Mars missions, with future test flights anticipated in the coming weeks.