Musk Dismisses Second Consecutive Starship Explosion As "Minor Setback"

Elon Musk responded to critics of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, downplaying the latest test flight failure as a “minor setback” after the spacecraft experienced another “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” sending flaming debris off the Florida coast, Forbes reporter Ty Roush covered the incident.

SpaceX confirmed that it lost connection with Starship after the rocket exploded during its ascent burn—the second such incident in the past two months. I Photo: SpaceX X

Replying to an X user who noted that SpaceX has faced “worse times,” Musk wrote that Starship’s eighth test flight was merely an unintended explosion that destroyed the rocket.

He emphasized that progress is measured over time and claimed the next rocket would be ready within four to six weeks—a timeline that seems unlikely, given that an investigation into his second consecutive failure has yet to begin.

SpaceX confirmed that it lost connection with Starship after the rocket exploded during its ascent burn—the second such incident in the past two months.

In response to another X user who insisted the latest test flight was “NOT a failure,” Musk suggested that an “upper stage” or “ship failure” was the cause. Despite the setback, he remained optimistic, claiming, “We learned a good amount in building the new ship design and the flight.”