A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up just minutes after launching in Texas, forcing flights over the Gulf of Mexico to change course to dodge falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.
SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship on Thursday, carrying its first test payload of mock satellites but no crew, eight minutes after liftoff from its South Texas rocket facilities at 5.38 pm EST (2238 GMT).