SpaceX has conducted its second test launch with its Starship unmanned spacecraft. Both the spacecraft and the launch vehicle exploded minutes later.

SpaceX livestreamed Saturday's launch from Texas, which at first appeared to be a success. This was the first time a spacecraft had reached outer space. The journey will last 90 minutes, and the goal is to reach a height of 240 kilometers above the earth before the rocket lands in the sea near Hawaii.

Instead, the launch vehicle exploded in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after separating from the spacecraft. The starship continued its journey into space, but about ten minutes into the flight, SpaceX lost contact with the craft. It appears to have reached a height of about 148 kilometers.

Collecting data

“We lost data connection with the second stage… we thought the second stage was lost,” said John Insprucker, commenting on the space agency's live broadcast. But he chose to summarize the day positively.

– A very successful day. The wreath cake top is a successful start. Even if we do… rapid and unexpected dismantling of super-heavy boosters and ships, Insprucker concluded.

– We have received so much data, and this will help us make improvements before the next launch, said his colleague Kate Tice.

The previous launch, seven months ago, also ended with a bang. After the test launch, SpaceX made a number of improvements to the launch vehicle and launch pad. Authorities approved the rocket launch on Wednesday after ensuring that all safety and environmental requirements had been met.

Biggest and strongest

Starship is an unmanned spacecraft built for long journeys in space. The rocket measures 121 meters and is the largest and most powerful rocket ever made. The goal is to one day send humans to the moon and Mars.

SpaceX has signed a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA to send special astronauts to the moon in the future, as part of the Artemis program. The US space agency is the biggest customer of SpaceX, which is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.