The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights. SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites for practice at

SpaceX is set to launch the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket, which will include a crucial test for how it will deploy satellites.

SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket blasted off Thursday on its most complex test flight yet, with Elon Musk looking to repeat a booster capture with giant mechanical arms and adding a new twist. The 400-foot (123-meter) rocket soared from the southern tip of Texas,

The incident in which a SpaceX rocket broke up after launch demonstrates the challenges the FAA will face as the number of commercial space flights increases.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made light of Starship's fiery end. "Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" he said on X.