SpaceX Starship, world’s biggest rocket, explodes during first flight test
SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded during its inaugural flight on April 20, four minutes after launching from the SpaceX spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas.
The spacecraft was supposed to separate from the first-stage rocket booster three minutes into the flight, but separation failed, causing the rocket to disintegrate.
Despite the failure, Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, congratulated his team and called the test “exciting,” tweeting that he learned a lot for the next test launch in a few months.
NASA has chosen Starship to ferry astronauts to the Moon in late 2025, marking the first time astronauts will land on the moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972.