SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight that saw it eventually crash down into the Indian Ocean as planned.

An explosion has been captured at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, where Elon Musk’s company is preparing to launch its Starship craft in a critical test of the world’s largest rocket. SpaceX was reportedly performing a deluge test,

This week's science news.

SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever constructed, exploded midair shortly after it launched in Texas. No one was on board the rocket today.

SpaceX’s twelfth flight test of its next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicle, originally scheduled for today, May 21, 2026, was scrubbed during the final countdown. Despite intense anticipation surrounding the debut of the upgraded Version 3 (V3) architecture and the newly designed launch pad at Starbase,