Subscribe now

Space

Incredible images show the moment SpaceX's Starship exploded

James Temple was "in the right place at the right time" to take these dramatic images of SpaceX's Starship's seventh flight test disintegrating above the Atlantic Ocean

By Tim Boddy

21 January 2025

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Starship flight test 7 goes through “rapid unscheduled disassembly”

James Temple Photography

These eerie images of a fiery sky show the moment when SpaceX’s Starship rocket dramatically returned to Earth in pieces last week. They were captured by photographer James Temple, who was working as a chef on a superyacht in the Turks and Caicos Islands. When he realised what was happening, he grabbed his camera extender for a closer shot.

Starship’s seventh flight test took off from SpaceX’s site at Boca Chica, Texas, on 16 January, but SpaceX lost contact with the rocket after approximately eight and…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop