The rocket company said the space vehicle came apart during its ascent. Videos posted to social media showed debris streaking through the sky.

Dramatic footage showing streaks of light zipping across the sky surfaced online following Elon Musk's Starship explosion over the Atlantic Ocean.

The "rapid unscheduled disassembly" was likely caused by a propellant leak, Elon Musk said, and was captured on video by spectators on the ground.

One just launched the world’s biggest rocket, with mixed success. The other makes small model rockets for hobbyists, and it’s stockpiling supplies ahead of Trump’s tariffs.

SpaceX said the ship experienced “a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” moments after a dramatic, successful booster catch at the launchpad.

SpaceX said a leak may have caused a fire in Starship’s upgraded Block 2 upper stage, leading to the loss of the vehicle during the super-heavy lift launch system’s seventh test flight, while also signaling it would press ahead with plans for another mission in weeks.

A fire in the aft section of SpaceX's Starship trigged the apparent explosion that destroyed the spacecraft, the company says.

Recent science news covers SpaceX's Starship explosion, a new scent for sniffer dogs aiding cold cases, a Pompeii excavation, and US FAA's investigation into rocket debris in Turks and Caicos. Highlights include a test payload mishap,

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration and officials from the Turks and Caicos Islands have launched probes into SpaceX’s explosive Starship rocket test that sent debris streaking over the northern Caribbean and forced airlines to divert dozens of flights.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is collaborating with SpaceX and other authorities to verify reports of damage to public property on the Turks and Caicos Islands. This investigation follows the dramatic failure of SpaceX’s Starship rocket,

Relive the 4th launch of the SpaceX's Starship rocket and see teaser of what could happen on flight 5. Credit: SpaceX