SpaceX’s seventh Starship test flight encountered unexpected challenges when communication with the ship was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight. The test, initially set to last an hour, was abruptly cut short due to the unforeseen communication breakdown.

A SpaceX Starship's upper stage exploded minutes after launch from Texas on Thursday, and the rocket was declared a "loss" in the seventh test flight of the heavy-lift spacecraft. The mission was unmanned.