SpaceX lost contact with its Starship rocket during re-entry over the Indian Ocean, the company said in a media release, but the third test flight was still considered a success after it went further than any previous test.
The unmanned spacecraft successfully launched from the company's base in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. local time today.
The rocket launched today is the heaviest rocket ever launched, with a weight of 85,000 kg and a height of 71 meters.
The rocket, from Elon Musk's SpaceX, is being tested as the company tries to travel to the moon and even Mars.
"As the most powerful launch system ever developed, Starship will be able to carry up to 100 people on long-duration interplanetary flights," the company says.
"Starship will also enable satellite delivery, development of a base on the Moon, and base-to-base transportation here on Earth," the company's mission statement says.
Starship re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Views through the plasma pic.twitter.com/HEQX4eEHWH
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024