SpaceX Starship launch: World’s biggest rocket loses contact after reaching space

After months of delays, SpaceX finally launched its massive Starship rocket as part of a major flight test of the Mars-bound craft – before losing it around 10 minutes after lift off.

Saturday’s attempt comes seven months after the first effort to launch a fully stacked Starship – which is both the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built – ended in a catastrophic explosion, just minutes after lift off.

SpaceX boss Elon Musk says Starship holds the key to making humanity a multi-planetary species, with plans to build hundreds of the spacecraft in order to set up a permanent human colony on Mars.

But first Starship had to conduct an uncrewed orbital test, which saw it leave from its launchpad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, before both stages of the rocket were lost.

A 20 minute launch window opened at 7am CT (1pm GMT), with the flight scheduled to last around 90 minutes, though ending within 10. You can find all the latest updates and watch a live stream below.

Starship launch key points

• Watch the live stream of the Starship launch attempt
• What was meant to happen during today’s Starship launch attempt
• What actually happened during today’s Starship launch attempt
• SpaceX loses Starship rocket

[18 November 2023 12:50 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Countdown hits 10 minutes

The Sun is rising over Boca Chica, and Starship is peaking out above the fog.

Just 10 minutes to go now...

[18 November 2023 12:56 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Potential countdown hold as last checks carried out

There’s less than five minutes of the countdown left to go. the final propellant is being loaded, with both stages set to be ready and loaded at T-minus three minutes.

A potential hold might take place at T-minus 40 seconds if any last checks are necessary.

The lifeguard is also still making sure that there are no boats in the launch zone.

[18 November 2023 13:01 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Countdown paused

As expected, the countdown has been paused at T-minus 40 seconds.

The only thing limiting how long this pause might last is the launch window itself, which is set to close in 20 minutes.

The issue appears to be a late pressurisation on the second stage.

[18 November 2023 13:02 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Countdown underway

Countdown back underway...

[18 November 2023 13:04 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: We have lift off!

We have lift off!

(SpaceX)

[18 November 2023 13:05 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Huge cheers from SpaceX team

Huge cheers can be heard from SpaceX engineers as the world’s biggest rocket lifts off and heads up and out over the Gulf of Mexico.

Starship successfully passes Max Q and is about to attempt stage separation.

[18 November 2023 13:09 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Stage separation successful!

The flight test is officially past the previous flight test, with a successful stage separation between the Starship rocket and its Super Heavy booster.

A few moments later, the Super Heavy booster experiences a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) - otherwise known as a massive explosion.

The main rocket is still on its way, however, and is heading towards orbit.

This is the moment the stages separated:

(SpaceX)

[18 November 2023 13:12 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: ‘Good shot’ at reaching orbit

Starship is continuing on its nominal trajectoy, though it’s getting ever more difficult to actually see it on the live stream. As I type that, it goes completely out of view, but SpaceX says all the data it has looks good.

“We have a really good shot of hitting our target orbit,” SpaceX says.

[18 November 2023 13:15 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: SpaceX feed cuts out for rocket

SpaceX’s feed from the rocket has been lost.

“We think we may have lost the second stage,” SpaceX says.

While we wait to hear more, you can read about today’s successful launch right here:

[18 November 2023 13:21 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Starship launch live: Rocket disappears as it reaches max altitude

SpaceX says the upper stage appears to have also experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly, so we won’t be seeing any more of it today. Small pieces will be plopping down into the Atlantic, though SpaceX has no plans to recover them, nor the remnants of its Super Heavy booster that exploded earlier.

Despite the loss of both stages of Starship, SpaceX says it has been an “incredibly successful day” that will provide plenty of data for the next test flight attempt.