SpaceX said its Starship space vehicle broke up during a flight meant to test the megarocket's capabilities. Videos on social media appeared to show debris streaming across the sky.

The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights. SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites for practice at

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 programme.

La nave espacial Starship sufrió un “desmontaje rápido e imprevisto durante su ascenso”, confirmó Space X tras las fallas en el vuelo de prueba.

SpaceX’s Starship prototype failed shortly after launch from Texas, disrupting Gulf air traffic and sparking safety concerns.

Elon Musk’s company revealed that the spacecraft’s six engines shut down one by one, leading to the loss of contact and the mission’s abrupt end. The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights.

Telemetry from the Starship froze just more than 8 minutes after launch from Texas, moments after engines began shutting down.

Footage of the incident, captured by a family vacationing in the Turks and Caicos, showed the wreckage leaving behind what one of the onlookers called a “rainbow” of debris.

The agency launched an investigation into the “space vehicle mishap” on Thursday night that forced commercial flights to divert and caused debris to rain toward Caribbean islands.

The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, was successfully caught in the launch tower's mechanical arms for only the second time