SpaceX announced that its Starship rocket had exploded midair a few minutes after launch on Thursday.

“At 8:33 a.m. CT, Starship successfully lifted off from the orbital launch pad for the first time. The vehicle cleared the pad and beach as Starship climbed to an apogee of 39 km over the Gulf of Mexico – the highest of any Starship to-date,” SpaceX said in a statement on its website.

“The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship.” It affirmed that as is standard procedure, the pad and surrounding area was cleared well in advance of the test. “We expect the road and beach near the pad to remain closed until tomorrow,” it added.

SpaceX said it “learned a tremendous amount” that it will implement into future flights.

The company also thanked its community and the county for supporting the launch.

Source: Kuwait News Agency