SEE: When SpaceX Starship Exploded

Elon Musk-founded SpaceX's Starship -- the most powerful rocket ever built -- took off on an orbital test mission at Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Three minutes after lift off, Starship exploded during its test-flight.

Despite this, SpaceX described the mission as a success -- because the spacecraft had gotten off the launchpad and fulfilled the primary purpose of the test-flight -- and one engineer reportedly even poured champagne over his colleagues to celebrate.

IMAGE: Starship atop its powerful superheavy rocket lifts off. Photograph: Joe Skipper/Reuters

IMAGE: Huge smoke clouds form as Starship rises from the launchpad. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters

Photograph: Gene Blevins/Reuters

IMAGE: The media and spectators try to capture the lift off on tjeir cameras. Photograph: Gene Blevins/Reuters

IMAGE: People watch the lift off. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters

IMAGE: The Starship in mid-air. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters

IMAGE: The Starship falls to earth as it explodes. Photograph: Gene Blevins/Reuters

Photograph: Joe Skipper/Reuters

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com

Recommended by Rediff.com