"A rapid unscheduled disassembly." This is how SpaceX defined the explosion of its Starship spacecraft minutes after liftoff Thursday in Texas. The launch of the test flight had to be delayed on Monday 17 due to technical problems.
As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 20, 2023
In the video of the launch, the spacecraft is seen starting to rotate and then explodes. As explained by company spokespersons during the live broadcast, the failure occurred when part of the ship should have separated from the rest.
SpaceX Starship explodes after launch#SpaceX
— Crime With Bobby (@crimewithbobby) April 20, 2023
Starship is the largest spacecraft in history which Elon Musk's company and NASA plan to use to take astronauts to the moon starting in 2025.