SpaceX's Starship rockets to space before facing an explosive setback

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, achieved a 'successful' launch of its Starship, a colossal 400-foot-tall spacecraft, designed for future Mars and Moon colonization efforts. The uncrewed two-stage rocketship took off from the Starbase launch site near Boca Chica in Texas, aiming for a 90-minute spaceflight. 

However, the mission faced a setback as the Starship experienced a "rapid unplanned disassembly," and the booster, intended to land in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded shortly after separating from the spacecraft.

The Starship is a groundbreaking project consisting of two reusable elements—a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and a 165-foot-tall  (50 metres) upper stage known as Starship. The goal is to revolutionize space travel with complete reusability.

Saturday's 'successful' launch comes after the first attempt to fly the spaceship in its fully-stacked configuration back in April ended in a spectacular explosion over the Gulf of Mexico. Then the Starship exploded during liftoff, hampered by a failure in the separation of its components.

SpaceX's Starship, boasting 74.3 meganewtons of thrust, is the largest rocket ever built, positioning itself as a key player in NASA's Artemis program for crewed lunar landings.

While the launch damaged SpaceX's Starbase launchpad, recent reinforcements with high-strength concrete and water jet systems aim to protect against the intense heat and force generated during liftoff.