SpaceX launched Starship Flight 15 from Texas on Friday, but its Super Heavy booster was diverted from a planned return to the launch tower. The reason for the diversion was not immediately clear.
The booster was sent toward a fixed point over the Gulf of Mexico, where it hovered briefly before exploding a short distance above the sea, Reuters via Channel News Asia reported. SpaceX had intended to recover it using mechanical arms on the tower shortly after it separated from the upper stage.
The uncrewed Starship upper stage continued its flight and reached orbit about 27 minutes after launch, SpaceX said. The company planned for it to return to the tower on Saturday after about 14 orbits and roughly 22 hours in flight.
The Guardian noted that SpaceX had planned to catch both components at the tower. The upper stage’s return remained a plan, rather than a completed landing, when the reports were published.
