SpaceX’s massive Starship spacecraft exploded in space on Thursday minutes after lifting off from Texas, marking the second straight failure this year for Elon Musk’s Mars rocket program. The incident, which prompted the FAA to halt air traffic in parts of Florida, has reignited debates over Musk’s approach to innovation and his broader influence in politics.
While Musk and his supporters argue that repeated failures are necessary for innovation, critics continue to question the financial and environmental costs of his ambitious space program.
Chris D Jackson’s criticism sparks debate
The latest explosion fueled political criticism, with strategist Chris D Jackson taking to X to mock Musk’s track record.
“If you’re keeping count, that’s four Starship explosions out of eight attempts—an impressive failure rate,” Jackson wrote. “Elon’s philosophy seems to be the same for everything: blow it up, waste billions, and call it innovation.”
His remarks drew a sharp response from billionaire entrepreneur Paul Graham, a known Democratic supporter.
“I’ve been a big Democratic donor in the last two campaigns, and I can tell you that you are not doing the Democrats a favor with this kind of comment,” Graham replied. “Plus, you make yourself look like a fool because this is, in fact, what actual innovation looks like.”
Concerns over broader geopolitical issues
The discussion took a geopolitical turn when X user Habiba Hamid raised concerns about US national security and foreign influence.
“Paul, are you not concerned that the Leninists—Israeli/Russians—are at the gate and are subverting the USG? We’re killing Ukrainians,” she posted.
Graham acknowledged broader concerns but kept the focus on SpaceX’s mission.
“Yes, I’m concerned about a lot of things the government is doing,” he replied. “But I can separate this from what SpaceX is doing.”
Starship explosion and FAA response
The rocket lifted off around 6:30 pm ET from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, site. While the Super Heavy first-stage booster successfully returned to Earth, the Starship upper stage lost control in space, with multiple engines shutting down. A SpaceX live stream showed the spacecraft spinning uncontrollably before communication was lost.
“Unfortunately, this happened last time too, so we’ve got some practice now,” SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said during the broadcast.
Fiery debris was spotted over South Florida and the Bahamas, though SpaceX stated that no toxic materials were present. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly grounded flights at major Florida airports and launched an investigation into the failure.
Musk downplayed the setback, calling it “a minor issue” and stating that the next Starship test would be ready in 4 to 6 weeks.
Setback or progress? The future of Starship
Despite two back-to-back failures, Musk remains optimistic. Starship, a 403-foot (123-meter) rocket system, is crucial to his long-term goal of sending humans to Mars by the end of the decade.
SpaceX described the explosion as an “energetic event” that resulted in the loss of several engines, ultimately leading to a communications failure. The FAA has opened an investigation, requiring SpaceX to identify the cause before approving future flights.