Starship test: SpaceX captures a rocket booster at the launch pad, loses the spacecraft

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

Texas: SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight on Thursday, but the spacecraft was destroyed following a thrilling booster catch back at the pad. Elon Musk’s company said Starship broke apart — 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 8 1/2 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.

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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.

“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship,” said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot, adding it would take time to analyze the data and figure out what happened. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle.”

The last data received from the spacecraft indicated an altitude of 90 miles (146 kilometers) and a velocity of 13,245 mph (21,317 kph). The 400-foot (123-meter) rocket had thundered away in late afternoon from Boca Chica Beach near the Mexican border.