Hyperdrive
SpaceX Says It Blew Up Starship Rocket After Engine Mishap
- CEO Musk said next launch attempt to happen ‘in a few months’
- Rocket was designed to carry people, cargo into deep space
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SpaceX’s attempt to send its Starship system into space on Thursday ended in a blast after an engine failure forced it to blow up the rocket shortly after liftoff.
The mishap potentially complicates Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s goal to send humans back to the moon and to deep-space destinations including Mars. Thursday’s test was a crucial one for Starship, the largest rocket ever built, and meant to show that the vehicle could reach space and complete a partial orbit of Earth.