SpaceX’s latest Starship SN9 prototype rocket went up in flames Tuesday afternoon after reaching 10 kilometers in altitude (that’s about 6 miles up).
After its ascent, the rocket’s Raptor engines reignited as it attempted a flip landing maneuver before reaching the landing pad at the SpaceX site in Texas, off the Gulf of Mexico. But the descent didn’t go so smoothly. It exploded as it landed.
If you’re having déjà vu, that’s because another Starship rocket, the SN8 test flight, exploded back in December. That prototype rocket also burst into flames upon landing. Tuesday’s SN9 explosion was the second high-altitude suborbital test flight for the Starship rocket.