Elon Musk’s SpaceX had set its sights on launching its 394-foot (120-metre) Starship rocket from the southern tip of Texas with the aim of circumnavigating the globe. This particular launch was an unmanned one, with no people or satellites on board the rocket.

On April 20, SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, which is known to be the most powerful rocket ever built, took off from a launchpad in South Texas atop its massive Super Heavy booster. As the rocket ignited, dozens of Raptor engines shot brilliant, hot flames from their methane-fueled claws, and onlookers flocked to the beach to witness the event.However, things did not go as planned. The rocket exploded in the air before it could separate from the platform, despite three of the Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines firing at liftoff. According to SpaceX, a fourth engine died just 40 seconds into the flight, and a fifth engine failed at the one-minute mark. None of this was immediately apparent to onlookers, who were watching from 5 miles (8 km) away at the South Padre Island Amphitheater.This was SpaceX’s second attempt at launching the rocket, as an earlier scheduled launch was canceled due to technical issues.

Approximately two and a half minutes after takeoff, the Super Heavy booster was determined to have used up most of its fuel and separated from the Starship spacecraft, leaving the booster in the ocean. The Starship was supposed to use its own engines to propel itself up to near-orbital speed, blazing for more than six minutes. However, six of the 33 engines at the base of the vehicle had shut down or caught fire as the rocket climbed higher and higher. The flight reached its highest point of 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) above the ground before it exploded approximately four minutes after liftoff.Despite the setback, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk promised a successful flight soon. The company said that its teams would continue to review the data and work toward the next flight test. The information learned from this test would help improve future flights of Starship. The road and beach near the launchpad were expected to remain closed until Friday.

For the time being, SpaceX plans to use Starship to launch thousands more satellites into the sky for its broadband internet constellation called Starlink. Only when engineers are confident of the vehicle’s reliability will they allow people to fly on the rocket. The outline of such a plan is already in place, and it will be commanded by billionaire American businessman and fast-jet pilot Jared Isaacman, who has already flown into space in the SpaceX Dragon capsule.During the launch, a fourth engine of the Starship spacecraft failed 40 seconds into flight, followed by the failure of a fifth engine at the one-minute mark. Despite these failures, they were not immediately apparent to the public and media watching from the South Padre Island Amphitheater, located 5 miles (8 km) away from the launchpad.About two and a half minutes after takeoff, the Super Heavy rocket booster had consumed most of its fuel and separated from the Starship spacecraft, leaving the booster to land in the ocean. The Starship was supposed to use its own engines to propel itself up to near-orbital speed.

As the rocket climbed higher and higher, it was observed that six of the 33 engines at the base of the vehicle had shut down or caught fire. The flight reached its highest point 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) above the ground and exploded approximately four minutes after liftoff.Despite the failed launch, SpaceX remains undeterred, and founder and CEO Elon Musk has promised a successful flight in the near future. The company stated that they will continue to review the data and work towards their next flight test. The road and beach near the launchpad are expected to remain closed until Friday.

The Starship spacecraft is intended to launch thousands of satellites into the sky for Starlink, SpaceX’s broadband internet constellation. Once engineers are confident in the vehicle’s reliability, it will be used to transport people as well. The first manned mission will be commanded by billionaire American businessman and fast-jet pilot Jared Isaacman, who has already flown into space in the SpaceX Dragon capsule.Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of SpaceX, has vowed to achieve a successful flight of the Starship rocket soon. The company plans to review the data from the recent launch and continue working towards the next flight test. The recent test flight was seen as a valuable learning opportunity, providing insights into the vehicle and ground systems that will help improve future flights of the Starship.

The launch took place in South Texas near the Mexican border, and both the road and beach near the launchpad are expected to remain closed until Friday. The Starship rocket is part of SpaceX’s plan