However, the rocket system's upper stage, which was packed with upgrades for the flight test, did not survive the launch and appeared to break apart over the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea. SpaceX confirmed on the live broadcast that the spacecraft's engines started to go out prior to planned engine cut-off and Starship later stopped delivering telemetry data.

An investigation is underway after a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded after its launch, causing a large debris field to come crashing back to Earth.

A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.