During its highly anticipated 3rd test flight, SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully launched from Texas’s Starbase area, marking its first orbit. The flight, named Integrated Flight Test-3, saw Starship separate from its first stage booster, Super Heavy, after approximately 3 minutes. Starship also passed critical tests involving opening a payload bay hatch and restarting an engine in space.

However, communication was abruptly lost as Starship attempted re-entry into the atmosphere. SpaceX reported that while the first stage booster, Super Heavy, safely crashed in the Gulf of Mexico as planned, Starship’s fate became uncertain during re-entry. The company later confirmed that they suspected Starship exploded upon entry into the atmosphere, resulting in the loss of communication.