Space
SpaceX’s Starship Explodes in Unexpected Test Flight Setback
- Giant rocket is central to Musk’s ambition to reach Mars
- Launch comes hours after Bezos’ Blue Origin reached orbit
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SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded just minutes into its seventh test flight, an unexpected setback after the Elon Musk-led company had made steady progress advancing the vehicle’s capabilities.
While the top section of the rocket was lost, SpaceX succeeded in another complicated maneuver, bringing the spacecraft’s Super Heavy lower portion back down to Earth and catching it in midair using giant mechanical arms.