SEE VIDEO: SpaceX’s Starship rocket explodes 4 minutes into successful first test flight
Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News
SpaceX on Thursday tested its next-generation rocket designed for missions to the moon and Mars, ending in an explosion amid cheers from employees who gathered to watch a livestream of the launch.
The rocket ignited and blasted skyward for about four minutes, but the separation of the booster from the spacecraft that sat atop the rocket appeared to fail. Some of the booster’s 33 engines appeared to not ignite.
The rocket then began to tumble downward before exploding.