SpaceX explosion caught on camera as Elon Musk Starship launch suffers catastrophic failure
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The explosion of SpaceX's Starship rocket has been caught on camera by shocked onlookers who were left wondering: "What is this?". Elon Musk's quest to reach Mars had a setback last night after the spacecraft blasted off from Texas, with the intention to soar across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world, but broke apart less than ten minutes in. SpaceX described the incident as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" as six engines appeared to shut down one by one during ascent.
A tourist visiting Turks and Caicos filmed the rocket's explosion on camera from a beach - but appeared to be unaware of what it was. Footage shows a huge trail in the sky as onlookers wonder what is happening. Sharing the video on X, the person who filmed it wrote: "First night in Turks and Caicos and we're on the beach and see this." He said in the clip: "That's crazy, I've never seen anything like that in my life. That's wild.".
SpaceX had packed the spacecraft with 10 dummy satellites for practice at releasing them. A minute before the loss, SpaceX used the launch tower's giant mechanical arms to catch the returning booster, a feat achieved only once before. The descending booster hovered over the launch pad before being gripped by the pair of arms dubbed chopsticks.
The thrill of the catch quickly turned into disappointment for not only the company, but the crowds gathered along the southern tip of Texas. "It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship," said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot. "It's a flight test. It's an experimental vehicle," he stressed.
