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
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.
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Moment SpaceX halts Starship rocket launch minutes before anticipated lift-off
SpaceX launches ‘Starship Torch'
“Mini Starship with flame!” Elon Musk tweeted. And that’s exactly what it is.
It’s coming later this year, in the third quarter, according to the listing. Here’s what SpaceX is saying about the product:
“The man in black, Johnny Cash knew a thing or two about burning desire. But love isn’t the only thing that burns. Sometimes you just want to caramelize the sugar on a crème brûlée or melt some cheese without all the subtext. Enter the Starship Torch.
“Designed to generate a windproof flame worthy of its namesake, the handheld Starship Torch will make easy work of searing anything from steak to meringue. Outside of the kitchen, fire up Starship to light candles or your fireplace. Who needs weak matches when you’ve got the power of Starship in your hands?
“When not in use, activate the safety lock and your torch transforms into a bad-ass 1:200 scale model of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft fit for display.
“It’s collectible. It’s functional. And it burns, burns, burns. The Starship Torch.”
More information, pre-orders, and some safety information can be found here.
(It’s not the first time Elon Musk has launched a promotional flamethrower, though this one is a little intense than the one he released a few years ago.)
SpaceX planning another launch today
It’s not Starship, but Starlink: one of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets is scheduled to leave Florida today, carrying 21 of the company’s Starlink internet satellites. It’s scheduled for 8.50am eastern, or 1.50pm in the UK.
‘Perhaps inevitable’, quips Musk about date
Elon Musk has joked that the new date was “perhaps inevitable”. The launch will now happen on 4/20 – “weed day”, and a celebrated joke on the internet – much to his delight.
He’s enjoyed the number in the past: he got in trouble for suggesting he would take Tesla private at $420 a share. (He said that wasn’t actually a joke; the number was a legitimate offer.)
And he’s already got excitement going on that date. It’s the same day that Tesla will remove “legacy” blue ticks, which he seems to be doing at least in part to annoy the high-profile people who have got them.
As below: maybe Musk wanted this date all along. People certainly predicted it and he seemed to enjoy it.
SpaceX aiming for April 20
SpaceX is now targeting 20 April for its next attempt at launching Starship. The launch window opens at 8.28am local central time (that’s 9.28am eastern, or 2.28pm UK time) and is open for 62 minutes.
Other than that, everything should run to much the same plan as Monday, but on Thursday instead.
(Yes, that’s right: the date is 4/20. Some might wonder whether this was Musk’s plan all along.)
Elon Musk reacts to cancellation – and says new attempt will be a ‘few days'
Elon Musk, who had been pessimistic about the chances of a successful launch today, says that lessons have been learned from today’s launch.
We still don’t know when the next launch will be but he says a “few days”.
(Sorry to keep going on about this, but 4/20 is just a few days away...)
SpaceX expecting a ‘minimum of 48 hours’ before it can go again
We’ve not got a new date for the launch. But SpaceX says it will be at least 48 hours.
(That takes us very close to Thursday, which is 4/20 and one of Elon Musk’s favourite dates.)
The extra delay is because it got very close to the launch, so there’s more to reverse.
Countdown happening as usual
With five minutes to go, everything looks like the launch is continuing. That’s because the wet dress rehearsal is a real rehearsal: everything is happening as it would on the day.
Today’s launch will probably not happen, SpaceX announces
The “pressurisation issue” means that the plan is to treat today like a wet dress rehearsal. So it will still continue with the countdown, but won’t actually take off at the very end.
That won’t be confirmed right until the end: at any point up to T-10 seconds, SpaceX can decide that they will press go instead.
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