SpaceX’s Starship Explodes Shortly After Launching Uncrewed Test Flight

SpaceX’s Starship exploded a few minutes after launching an initial, uncrewed test flight on Thursday morning, abruptly ending the inaugural flight of a vehicle that Elon Musk wants to use one day for pioneering deep-space missions.

The company launched the uncrewed rocket at roughly 9:30 a.m. ET from a launchpad in South Texas, according to a SpaceX live stream. A trail of flames poured out of the engines installed on the booster used for the first stage of the flight.

The rocket began to spin in the air not long after liftoff. The spaceship that was stacked on top of the vehicle’s massive booster didn’t separate from it, and soon after the vehicle exploded.

SpaceX’s Starship exploded after the vehicle’s booster failed to separate. Photo: SPACEX/Via REUTERS

A SpaceX spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. “Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn,” the company said on Twitter.