The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is requiring an investigation into the explosion of SpaceX's Starship upper stage during the vehicle's seventh test flight on Jan. 16.

The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, was successfully caught in the launch tower's mechanical arms for only the second time

The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship ended with a successful landing of the rocket’s first stage but also the loss of the Starship vehicle

While the Starship is lost, the mission's first-stage booster successfully returned to the launch tower, where it was caught by the tower's robotic arms.

The rocket company said the space vehicle came apart during its ascent. Videos posted to social media showed debris streaking through the sky.

One just launched the world’s biggest rocket, with mixed success. The other makes small model rockets for hobbyists, and it's stockpiling supplies ahead of Trump's tariffs.

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

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and officials from the Turks and Caicos Islands have launched probes into SpaceX's explosive Starship rocket test that sent debris streaking over the northern Caribbean and forced airlines to divert dozens of flights.