SpaceX confirmed that the Starship spacecraft exploded following its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The company stated that the vehicle is not designed to withstand cold ocean water, making the destruction an expected outcome rather than a mission failure.
During the flight, the Ship 41 upper stage successfully performed a braking maneuver and atmospheric reentry. The mission concluded 3 hours and 9 minutes after launch, which was 6 hours and 50 minutes earlier than the original schedule.
The spacecraft achieved a full orbit for the first time and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. While the vehicle completed most primary objectives, it did not perform the planned six orbits around the Earth.
In a previous instance, during the 13th flight, the Starship also ended its mission with a splashdown. In that case, the vehicle remained afloat for approximately one month before recovery operations were completed.
