Starship flight test 8
Ship 34 after breaking up in the upper atmosphere as seen from the International Space Station | |
| Mission type | Flight test |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Starship Ship 34 |
| Spacecraft type | Starship (Block 2) |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Payload mass | ~8,000 kg (18,000 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 6, 2025, 5:30:31 pm CST (23:30:31 UTC) |
| Rocket | Super Heavy (Block 2, B15-1) |
| Launch site | Starbase, OLP-A |
| Deployed from | Boca Chica, Texas |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Starship: Breakup after tumbling due to loss of engines |
| Destroyed | Starship: March 6, 2025, 5:40:06 pm CST (23:40:06 UTC) |
| Landing date | Super Heavy: March 6, 2025, 5:37:33 pm CST (23:37:33 UTC) |
| Landing site | Super Heavy: Starbase, OLP-A |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Suborbital |
| Perigee altitude | −3,600 km (−2,200 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 146 km (91 mi) |
| Inclination | 26.4° |
| Payload | |
| 4 Starlink mass simulators | |
| Mass | ~8,000 kg (18,000 lb) |
Mission patch | |
Starship flight test 8 was the eighth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The launch tower successfully caught Booster 15; Ship 34 was destroyed before completing its planned flight, as during its initial burn four of the six engines experienced premature shutdowns that resulted in a loss of attitude control followed by a total loss of telemetry. The vehicle's breakup was observed from the Bahamas, Florida, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was the second flight and second failure of a Block 2 ship.
SpaceX had previously aborted a launch attempt late into the count on March 3, 2025, with a second attempt lifting off on March 6, 2025 at 5:30:31 pm CST (23:30:31 UTC).