SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 Ends Prematurely After Engine Malfunction; Booster Successfully Returns to Launch Site

SpaceX's Starship Flight 8, launched from Starbase in South Texas, experienced an early termination due to an engine malfunction in the upper stage. The Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught by the launch tower's robotic arms, marking the third successful catch. However, shortly after eight minutes into the flight, four of the six Raptor engines on the Starship upper stage shut down, causing the vehicle to tumble and lose communication. Debris was observed re-entering the atmosphere over the Caribbean. The flight aimed to test payload deployment and new heat shield technology. This setback follows a similar incident in January, prompting further investigation and hardware upgrades. Starship is crucial for SpaceX's Starlink deployments and NASA's Artemis lunar missions.