The seventh test flight of the most powerful and heaviest rocket in history, Starship, ended in failure, SpaceX reported on Thursday, January 16.

The rocket launched from the Boca Chica spaceport in Texas. The reusable first stage, Super Heavy, carried the spacecraft into orbit, then returned to the ground, landing on the launch pad. The upper stage separated in the sky, igniting all six Raptor engines. However, communication with the spacecraft was lost, and it crashed.

"After separation, the upper stage of Starship successfully ignited all six Raptor engines and prepared to ascend into space. Approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight, telemetry was lost before the launch could be completed. Initial data indicates a fire occurred in the ship’s aft section, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly with debris falling into the Atlantic Ocean," SpaceX stated. The company noted that they are investigating the causes of the crash and preparing for the eighth launch.

"Preliminary data suggests we had an oxygen leak in the cavity above the ship's engine fire shield. The leak was significant enough to create pressure exceeding the vent's capacity. In addition to a double-check for leaks, we will add fire suppression to this area and likely increase the vent's size," commented SpaceX owner Elon Musk. He added that the eighth launch is expected within the next month.

Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket in history. According to SpaceX, the spacecraft is designed to transport people and cargo to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The system has a total calculated payload capacity of 150 tons.

The reusable Starship system consists of the 70-meter Super Heavy first stage and the 50-meter Starship spacecraft with additional engines.