An uncrewed SpaceX rocket exploded just minutes after launch on Thursday, and CEOElon Musksays it’s been a learning opportunity.SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built,blasted offin Texas just after 8:30 a.m. local time. Although though the rocket made it off the launchpad, it failed to reach orbit and exploded a few minutes later over the Gulf of Mexico, according toThe New York Times.Still, that didn’t stop Musk from congratulating the team “on anexciting test launch.“In a message on Twitter, the social media platform he owns, Musk said that they’ve “learned a lot” for the “next test launch,” which he said would take place in a few months.SpaceX had similarly positive things to say about the launch on social media.“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starshipexperienced a rapid unscheduled disassemblybefore stage separation,” the company wrote on Twitter.SPACEX HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock"With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, andtoday’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,” they added. “Congratulations to the entire SpaceX teamon an exciting first integrated flight test of Starship!“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.SpaceX rocket launch.SPACEX HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockThe companyreceived another congratulatory messagefrom NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. (NASAawarded a $2.89 billion contract to SpaceXin 2021 to help them land astronauts on the Moon.)“Congrats to @SpaceX on Starship’s first integrated flight test! Every great achievement throughout history has demanded some level of calculated risk, because with great risk comes great reward,” Nelson wrote. “Looking forward to all that SpaceX learns, to the next flight test—and beyond.“SpaceX Starship shortly before explosion.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty ImagesDuring SpaceX’sbroadcast of the launch, cheers and applause could be heard as the rocket exploded.“Obviously we wanted to make it all the way through, but to get this far honestly is amazing,” an official said.Another official explained that this was a “development test” and that the goal was to “clear the pad” and then “get ready to go again.“They went on to explain that the rocket’s flight path “was designed to be over water” and that they would be working with local authorities on recovery.Crowd gathers to watch SpaceX Starship launch.Thom Baur/UPI/ShutterstockIf successful, the spacecraft would have completed a partial orbit around the Earth, traveling about 150 miles above the planet’s surface, perCNN.When the flight was done, it would have ended with a splashdown near Hawaii.The company hopes that the Starship rocket will one day be ableto travel to Mars, which haslong been one ofMusk’sgoals.Although NASA previously said that they believed crewed missions to Mars could become reality “as early as the 2030s,” Musk has said as recently as last year that he believes the trip may be possible on a slightly faster timeline.“Best case is about five years, worst case 10 years,” he said during a podcast appearance in December 2021.
An uncrewed SpaceX rocket exploded just minutes after launch on Thursday, and CEOElon Musksays it’s been a learning opportunity.
SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built,blasted offin Texas just after 8:30 a.m. local time. Although though the rocket made it off the launchpad, it failed to reach orbit and exploded a few minutes later over the Gulf of Mexico, according toThe New York Times.
Still, that didn’t stop Musk from congratulating the team “on anexciting test launch.”
In a message on Twitter, the social media platform he owns, Musk said that they’ve “learned a lot” for the “next test launch,” which he said would take place in a few months.
SpaceX had similarly positive things to say about the launch on social media.
“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starshipexperienced a rapid unscheduled disassemblybefore stage separation,” the company wrote on Twitter.
SPACEX HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, andtoday’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,” they added. “Congratulations to the entire SpaceX teamon an exciting first integrated flight test of Starship!”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
SpaceX rocket launch.SPACEX HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The companyreceived another congratulatory messagefrom NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. (NASAawarded a $2.89 billion contract to SpaceXin 2021 to help them land astronauts on the Moon.)
“Congrats to @SpaceX on Starship’s first integrated flight test! Every great achievement throughout history has demanded some level of calculated risk, because with great risk comes great reward,” Nelson wrote. “Looking forward to all that SpaceX learns, to the next flight test—and beyond.”
SpaceX Starship shortly before explosion.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
During SpaceX’sbroadcast of the launch, cheers and applause could be heard as the rocket exploded.
“Obviously we wanted to make it all the way through, but to get this far honestly is amazing,” an official said.
Another official explained that this was a “development test” and that the goal was to “clear the pad” and then “get ready to go again.”
They went on to explain that the rocket’s flight path “was designed to be over water” and that they would be working with local authorities on recovery.
Crowd gathers to watch SpaceX Starship launch.Thom Baur/UPI/Shutterstock
If successful, the spacecraft would have completed a partial orbit around the Earth, traveling about 150 miles above the planet’s surface, perCNN.
When the flight was done, it would have ended with a splashdown near Hawaii.
The company hopes that the Starship rocket will one day be ableto travel to Mars, which haslong been one ofMusk’sgoals.
Although NASA previously said that they believed crewed missions to Mars could become reality “as early as the 2030s,” Musk has said as recently as last year that he believes the trip may be possible on a slightly faster timeline.
“Best case is about five years, worst case 10 years,” he said during a podcast appearance in December 2021.
source: people.com
