Relive SpaceX's explosive 1st Starship test flight in these incredible launch photos

SpaceX's Starship explodes during its 1st fully integrated test flight on April 20, 2023.

SpaceX's Starship did not disappoint on its first test flight.

The 394-foot-tall (120 meters) Starship, the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, took off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas at 9:33 a.m. EDT (1333 GMT; 8:33 a.m. local Texas time) on April 20, 2023. Powered by 33 Raptor engines, Starship roared through the morning sky to the delight of spectators gathered on nearby South Padre Island.

Starship didn't fly for long, however. The massive stainless steel vehicle apparently encountered an issue separating from its Super Heavy rocket booster a few minutes into its flight. After tumbling through the air, the huge rocket exploded in what SpaceX calls a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" just under four minutes after launch.

Nevertheless, SpaceX has hailed the test flight as a success. "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starship's reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary," the company wrote on Twitter following the launch.

Relive the explosive first Starship test flight with these incredible images below.

Related: SpaceX's 1st Starship launches on epic test flight, explodes in 'rapid unscheduled disassembly'

SpaceX's Starship lifts off from the launch pad during a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

SpaceX's Starship lifts off. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Starship soars into the sky just seconds after liftoff. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Spectators watch Starship on its first test flight. (Image credit: VERONICA G. CARDENAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Some of Starship's 33 first-stage Raptor rocket engines fire during its first test flight. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The 394-foot-tall (120 meters) Starship streaks through the sky above Boca Chica, Texas. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

SpaceX's Starship shortly before encountering issues during its first test flight. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

SpaceX's Starship encounters an issue around the planned time of stage separation. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The SpaceX Starship maneuvers for a planned stage separation after launching on a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Starship explodes some four minutes after liftoff. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Starship experiences a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," as SpaceX terms it, during its first test flight on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Spectators cheer as Starship takes to the sky on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Spectators on South Padre Island wait for the launch of SpaceX's Starship on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk congratulated the company following the launch on Twitter, adding that another Starship launch will follow in a few months.

Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship!Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months. pic.twitter.com/gswdFut1dKApril 20, 2023

Spaceflight photographer John Kraus caught this stunning shot of Starship streaking through the Texas sky, posting it to Twitter shortly after launch.

Starship: Pointy end down, flamey end up! pic.twitter.com/oy5qs2eNKLApril 20, 2023

NASA Spaceflight photographer Max Evans caught this shot of Starship shortly after liftoff.

LIFTOFF OF STARSHIP SUPERHEAVY pic.twitter.com/dGIZAR0zuIApril 20, 2023

Photographer Trevor Mahlmann managed to frame Starship straight on in the image below that drives home the sheer size and power of the plume coming from Super Heavy's 33 Raptor engines.

Straight on view of Starship + Super Heavy launching this morning from South Texas🚀 @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/19NrEO6QEEApril 20, 2023

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