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Starship launch news – live: SpaceX launches world’s biggest rocket, which explodes shortly after

A video shows the explosion of Elon Musk’s Starship rocket as it blows up right after take off from its launch site

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes shortly after launch

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SpaceX has launched the world’s biggest rocket – which exploded seconds later.

The spacecraft successfully left its launchpad, but the two parts of the rocket failed to separate and they exploded in a dramatic cloud minutes later.

SpaceX nonetheless hailed the test as a success, having said that any flight that did not blow up the rocket’s launchpad would be considered a “win”.

Mr Musk said that the information gained from the test would be used to guide work on future versions of the spacecraft, the next text of which he said will happen in a “few months”.

You can follow all the latest news and updates right here after SpaceX’s launch of the most powerful and largest rocket the world has ever seen.

Who owns SpaceX?

Unlike Tesla, SpaceX is a private company and there’s little information on who owns it. But it is regulated by the US government, including the Federal Communications Commission, which means some information is available about who controls the company.

Mr Musk is these days thought to be the biggest shareholder but not the majority one: recent filings have suggested he owns about 42 per cent of it. The rest is held by a range of investors, many too small to disclose.

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 16:27

Elon Musk shares drone view of Starship soaring into the sky

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 15:29

Picture shows rocket streaking through the sky

Here you can see the Starship rocket as it streaks through the sky (shortly before it exploded...).

SpaceX's Starship launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 2023
SpaceX's Starship launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 2023 (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 15:24
Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 15:15

Musk hails launch as ‘exciting'

Elon Musk has finally tweeted after the launch.

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 15:03

Dramatic images show rocket lifting off

Here’s the dramatic scenes as Starship took off and became the world’s most powerful rocket ever to launch.

SpaceX's Starship launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 2023
SpaceX's Starship launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 2023 (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft, atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket, self-destructs after its launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on a brief uncrewed test flight near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 20, 2023
SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft, atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket, self-destructs after its launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on a brief uncrewed test flight near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 20, 2023 (REUTERS/Go Nakamura)
Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 15:02

Musk retweets dramatic video of Starship lifting off

Musk hasn’t tweeted about the explosion but has retweeted a SpaceX video that shows Starship lifting off.

You don’t see the explosion in this. But you do get some sense of the vast power of that rocket – which, even with the explosion, is the most powerful rocket launch ever.

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 14:57

Elon Musk yet to respond to explosion

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk is yet to respond to the explosion. His last tweet came half an hour ago, when he shared his view of the launch.

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 14:54

Starship makes it off the ground – but explodes soon after

Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 14:47

SpaceX says launch was a success

In a series of tweets, SpaceX says that it will be learning from the explosion to make Starship more reliable.

(Twitter/SpaceX)
Andrew Griffin20 April 2023 14:46

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