Washington: SpaceX Starship vehicle exploded in space just minutes after launch from Texas, marking the second failed attempt of the ambitious program aimed at sending a rocket to Mars.
According to SpaceX's official website, the 123-meter vehicle launched at 23:30 GMT from the Boca Chica launchpad, with the first-stage booster returning to Earth as planned. However, live broadcast footage showed erratic movements from the front of the vehicle in space, with several engines shutting down, before SpaceX announced the loss of contact.
During the live broadcast, SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said that this has happened before, and unfortunately, they have some work to do now.
The previous failed Starship test in January ended with the rocket exploding in space after eight minutes, scattering debris over the Caribbean islands and causing minor damage to a vehicle.
This latest failure comes over a month after the explosion of the seventh Starship vehicle, with recent setbacks occurring in early stages that SpaceX was expected to easily overcome, reflecting major setbacks for a program that Elon Musk had aimed to accelerate this year.
