SpaceX, a space travel and launch company, managed to perform a successful liftoff of its uncrewed Starship spacecraft from its Starbase spaceport in Texas. However, the maiden launch fell short of achieving several objectives as the Starship exploded mid-air a few minutes after liftoff.

Starship managed to climb just under 25 miles despite some of its engines failing, with a stage separation failure causing the launch vehicle to explode. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) no injuries or public property damage was reported.

Despite not reaching the planned distance of at least 90 miles, the company considered the successful liftoff of the launch vehicle a milestone, given the sheer mass of Starship. According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starship will be attempting a second launch in the upcoming months.

Analyst QuickTake: Having faced several delays in the past due to progress and regulatory approvals, SpaceX managed to secure the FAA clearance for Starship launch just a week ago. While the test flight was planned for April 17th, it was scrapped due to a frozen valve and postponed until the 20th. More powerful and cheaper than NASA’s SLS, Starship will set a new standard for space exploration pursuant to its ability to successfully complete all test maneuvers and reach the moon.