SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has deemed the launch test of its uncrewed spacecraft (Starship), developed to carry astronauts to the Moon and beyond, a "failure" after it malfunctioned in space just minutes after liftoff on Saturday. This was the second test of the vehicle, following its first launch attempt in April, which ended in an explosion.
The two-stage rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s launch site (Starbase) near Boca Chica, Texas, and propelled the (Starship) spacecraft to an altitude of about 90 kilometers on a journey scheduled to last 90 minutes. A livestream from SpaceX revealed that the (Super Heavy), the first stage of the rocket, seemingly executed a critical maneuver to separate from its main stage but exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after separation.
Meanwhile, the main booster of the (Starship) continued its ascent into space, but a few minutes later, one of the company's broadcasting officials announced that contact with the vehicle was suddenly lost. SpaceX stated in a post on the social media platform X that "the main stage engines on Starship ignited for several minutes on their way to space... With a test like this, success comes from what we learn."
The mission's objective was to launch the (Starship) into space without reaching orbit, then descend into Earth's atmosphere and land off the coast of Hawaii.
