400-Foot SpaceX Rocket Explodes Over Gulf of Mexico

SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket self-destructs after its launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on a brief uncrewed test flight near Brownsville, Texas, on April 20, 2023, in a still image from video. SpaceX/Handout via Reuters

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first Starship rocket on the morning of April 20 in an uncrewed test flight that ended minutes later with the craft exploding in the sky over the Gulf of Mexico near Texas.

“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation,” the private space exploration company wrote on Twitter. “Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.”