SpaceX Starship Second Test Flight Ends In Two Explosions

SpaceX launched the second test flight of its Starship megarocket this morning, roaring off from the launchpad at Boca Chica, Texas.

I​t ended in two explosions.

About 10 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX lost communication with the rocket. The company confirmed Starship self-destructed. The flight was about twice as long as the first attempt in April.

Before that, Starship's Super Heavy booster exploded after separation. The booster was supposed to land in the Gulf of Mexico.

The two-hour launch window opened at 8 a.m. eastern time, or 7 a.m. local time. W​eather was near-perfect for liftoff.

T​he first test, in April, ended in a spectacular explosion about four minutes after liftoff and left a huge crater at the launchpad. Since then, the launchpad has been reinforced and a water-cooled deflection system installed. The deflection system sprays 260,000 gallons of water upward through a steel plate to deflect some of the rocket's power. It's been described as an "upside-down shower head."

A​s it did in April, Starship launched today from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

Starship F​light Scheduled To Last 90 Minutes

T​he second test flight was originally scheduled for Friday, but was delayed because a part needed to be replaced.

Plans called for today's flight to last about 90 minutes and pass over the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans before ditching in the water off Hawaii. No humans were onboard.

April's launch prompted controversy and a review by the Federal Aviation Administration. The massive rocket left a crater at the launchpad and flung concrete, steel and other debris into surrounding areas.

W​hat To Know About SpaceX's Megarocket

S​tarship's launch tower holds a Guinness world record for the largest structure of its kind.

The rocket is made up of the Starship launch vehicle on top of SpaceX's new Super Heavy booster. It was built to carry people to the moon and Mars and even beyond. Its engines are powered by methane, considered to be key to deep space flight.

SpaceX has a $3-billion contract with NASA to land astronauts on the moon as early as 2025 as part of the Artemis program.

The launch vehicle and booster are reusable just like SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9, but there won't be any landing attempts with the test launch. On future launches, the booster is designed to return to its launch pad.

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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