Related: China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth' Elon Musk, the company's primary owner, responded to the footage on X, saying "success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed! ✨ pic.twitter.com/nn3PiP8XwGJanuary 16, 2025 While the spacecraft was destroyed, the Super Heavy rocket booster successfully returned to the launch tower, where it was caught by the tower's giant robotic arms, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported. No astronauts were on board the spacecraft. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. This is not the first time that Starship has exploded during a test flight. During the rocket's second-ever launch in November 2023, the spacecraft exploded around 4 minutes after launch and punched a temporary hole in the upper atmosphere, known as an "ionospheric hole." However, it is currently too soon to tell if the latest eruption created a similar disturbance. Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity. Apart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and…January 17, 2025 RELATED STORIES