(CNN) — SpaceX’s colossal Starship launch system lifted off on its seventh uncrewed test flight Thursday, with an upgraded version of the megarocket embarking on the program’s most ambitious flight to date.
SpaceX was able to duplicate its prior feat of catching a booster that returned to Earth. But 8.5 minutes into flight, the Starship spacecraft itself was lost.
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” the company shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”
A “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” or “RUD,” is a phrase SpaceX typically uses to refer to an explosion.
Aircraft-tracking website Flightradar24 shared on Xthat the Starship explosion has caused its most tracked flights to be “all aircraft holding or diverting …