The seventh test launch of Starship ended with an explosion of the ship

The seventh test flight of the SpaceX Starship ended in an explosion, and the ship's wreckage entered the atmosphere near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Starship that took part in this flight had many updated components, including a smaller front flap, a 2% increase in fuel volume, completely new avionics, and new heat shielding tiles with a backup layer.

"Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Any surviving pieces of debris would have fallen into the designated hazard area," comments SpaceX.

Following the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued advisories to pilots, warning them of possible debris falling in certain areas.

However, the launch can be considered partially successful. The ship's Raptor engines started successfully during the ascent before the ground team lost contact with it at about the 8th minute of the flight.

SpaceX also managed to catch a heavy launch vehicle by using mechanical "arms" to capture the first stage of the rocket on the Starbase landing platform.