Elon Musk’s giant new Starship rocket exploded shortly after launch, during its first unmanned test flight from the Starbase site on Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday.
Billionaire Musk himself is seen at mission command after the rocket system, which failed to separate as planned just under four minutes after takeoff, exploded in the sky.
Employees at SpaceX HQ in Hawthorne, California, are also shown cheering the launch. SpaceX described it as a 'rapid, unscheduled disassembly', while Musk said they will try again in a few months.
The Starship spacecraft with its Super Heavy rocket is the world’s most powerful rocket system, and is intended to carry crew and cargo to the Moon and Mars. It’s a key part of NASA’s Artemis programme, which plans to put humans on the Moon by 2025.
5