Credit: DisneyOn Thursday, SpaceX launched its colossal Super Heavy-Starship rocket on its seventh test flight, marking another critical step in the development of the next-generation spacecraft. While the test achieved a significant milestone by successfully “catching” the Super Heavy booster back at its launch pad, the mission ended dramatically with the destruction of the Starship’s upper stage during ascent.
Passengers aboard the Disney Treasure cruise ship near Turks and Caicos witnessed the fiery disassembly, adding an unexpected highlight to their voyage.
Federal officials reported that falling debris from the destroyed Starship briefly delayed airline traffic departing from Miami, Florida. Telemetry from the spacecraft froze eight minutes and 27 seconds after launch following unexpected engine shutdowns or failures. Shortly after, SpaceX confirmed the loss of the vehicle with characteristic humor, posting on X
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”
Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause.
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s…
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 16, 2025
A Celestial Spectacle for Disney Cruise Guests
Guests aboard the Disney Treasure were treated to a rare and dramatic spectacle as the Starship’s fiery disassembly lit up the sky. Positioned outside Turks and Caicos, the cruise ship offered passengers an unobstructed view of the event, which many described as both mesmerizing and surreal. Social media posts from the ship captured reactions ranging from awe to disbelief.
The moment that Starship experienced rapid disassembly as seen from the Disney Treasure cruise ship outside of Turks and Caicos. 🤯
🎥: @evenstar7479 pic.twitter.com/en0QYXpl2d
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) January 16, 2025
Despite the dramatic end to the mission, SpaceX celebrated the partial success of the flight. Successfully recovering the Super Heavy booster demonstrated the company’s continued progress toward making Starship a fully reusable spacecraft—a critical feature for its ambitious plans to support lunar landings, Mars exploration, and beyond.
However, the loss of the Starship upper stage highlights ongoing challenges in SpaceX’s development process. The company is expected to conduct a detailed analysis of the mishap to identify and address the root cause of the engine failures.
While Thursday’s test underscores the complexities of developing the world’s most powerful rocket, SpaceX remains optimistic. The company has already scheduled additional test flights for the coming months as it works toward its ultimate goal of revolutionizing space travel.
As for the guests aboard the Disney Treasure, witnessing the historic test flight was a serendipitous moment of cosmic proportions—a reminder that the frontier of space exploration can intersect with even the most magical of vacations.