SpaceX rocket explodes on impact, Elon Musk claims to be successful

SpaceX’s latest rocket launch ended with a massive explosion, but Elon Musk claims the fiery launch went as planned.

The Starship prototype launch was designed to carry the rocket 12.5 km into the sky and then bring it back on a vertical landing.

Finally, Elon Musk hopes the Starship will bring people to Mars.

Today, the rocket completed a “landing and flip maneuver” and exploded in a huge fireball.

Musk was ecstatic, tweeting “Mars, here we go!”

The explosion comes after the futuristic Starship’s first high-altitude test flight earlier this week was aborted at the last second.

An automatic engine abort occurred with only 1.3 seconds remaining on the countdown.

SpaceX has already performed five Starship test flights, but these earlier, simpler models have not exceeded 150 meters.

SpaceX has taken over Boca Chica in the southeastern corner of Texas, near the Mexican border, to build and test its spacecraft. The company intends to use Starships, the top stage on Super Heavy thrusters, to deliver massive satellites in orbit around Earth and send people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.

Additional reports, AP