SpaceX Starship launch explosion: Elon Musk's rocket explodes over Atlantic Ocean in 7th test flight - forcing planes to divert

The rocket broke up in its 7th test flight on Thursday (16 January), forcing flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter their course to avoid falling debris. Elon Musk's company said Starship broke apart in what it called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly."

The spacecraft's six engines appeared to shut down one by one during ascent, with contact lost just eight and a half minutes into the flight. The spacecraft - a new and upgraded model making its debut - was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights.

SpaceX had packed it 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.

SpaceX spokesman Dan Huo said: “It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship. It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle.”

It was the seventh test flight for the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket. NASA has reserved a pair of Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade. Musk’s goal is Mars.