updated

SpaceX Starship explosion: Elon Musk’s launch goes horribly wrong, craft explodes after lift-off

Max Corstorphan
The Nightly
Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship has exploded after liftoff, filling the sky with fiery debris.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX team has watched on as the launch of its Starship turned to disaster, with the craft exploding into pieces and crashing back to earth.

The launch took place from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on Thursday afternoon local time.

The tests are estimated to cost anywhere from $16 million to $160 million.

Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.

Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.

Email Us
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

SpaceX staff celebrated first when the rocket and booster separated, then again as the “chopsticks” like arm successfully caught the booster’s return to earth. But as the craft rocketed further towards space, something went wrong.

An explosion filled the sky over the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic Sea, with fiery jets of debris soaring through the atmosphere.

“We can confirm that we did lose the ship,” SpaceX engineer Kate Tice said on an X live feed.

Dan Huot, SpaceX’s communication manager, added: “We obviously need to go through all the data. It’s going to take some time. In the next hours, days — we’re going to figure out exactly what happened, come back, fly the next one, get farther.”

“It’s a test of an experimental vehicle,” he added viewers.

No people were onboard the craft for launch, and there are no known injuries at this stage.

Vision of the disaster was quickly shared on social media.

The launch, which created spectacular images before its failure, is one of hundreds of recent attempts by SpaceX.

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship and booster separate during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
SpaceX's mega rocket Starship and booster separate during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Credit: Eric Gay/AP

Mr Musk responded to the incident online, saying: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”

More to come...

Comments

Latest Edition

The Nightly cover for 17-01-2025

Latest Edition

Edition Edition 17 January 202517 January 2025

Latest acts of anti-Semitic ‘evil’ spark urgent calls for new powers to tackle homegrown hate.