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The Conversation
The Conversation
Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, Air University

SpaceX launches most powerful rocket in history in explosive debut – like many first liftoffs, Starship's test was a successful failure

SpaceX Starship Eric Gay Gulf of Mexico NASA
Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, launched from a spaceport in Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay)

On April 20, 2023, a new SpaceX rocket called Starship exploded over the Gulf of Mexico three minutes into its first flight ever. SpaceX is calling the test launch a success, despite the fiery end result. As a space policy expert, I agree that the “rapid unscheduled disassembly” – the term SpaceX uses when its rockets explode – was a very successful failure.

A large rocket standing next to a tower.
The full Starship stack comprises a Starship spacecraft (in black) on top of a rocket dubbed Super Heavy (in silver) and is nearly 400 feet (120 meters) tall. Hotel Marmot/Flickr, CC BY-SA
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