SpaceX's Starship rocket, designed for human and cargo transportation to the moon and Mars, exploded during its first test flight on Thursday. The 400-foot rocket was intended to take a round-the-world trip from Texas without any people or satellites aboard. The rocket failed to separate from the booster and tumbled before exploding into the Gulf of Mexico four minutes after takeoff. The spacecraft was planned to continue east and circle the world before crashing into the Pacific near Hawaii. SpaceX aims to make space travel cheaper with the fully reusable Starship, and NASA has reserved a Starship for its next moonwalking team.
SpaceX's Starship rocket launch fails: 5 Key points
1. SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded shortly after its first test flight, which aimed to send it on a round-the-world trip from Texas, USA.
2. The rocket was designed to peel away from the booster minutes after liftoff, but it began to tumble and exploded four minutes into the flight, crashing into the Gulf of Mexico.
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3. The spacecraft was supposed to continue east and attempt to circle the world, before crashing into the Pacific near Hawaii.
4. NASA has already reserved a Starship for its next moonwalking team, and tourists are booking lunar flybys on the rocket.
5. The stainless steel rocket is fully reusable with fast turnaround, significantly reducing costs, similar to SpaceX's smaller Falcon rockets.
