'Are those shooting stars?' Watch stunning aftermath of SpaceX's Starship rocket breakup
While the midair destruction of the Starship rocket made for an unsuccessful flight test, it also created an amazing visual. Elon Musk said: 'Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!'
While the midair explosion of the SpaceX's Starship rocket made for an unsuccessful flight test it also made for an unforgettable optical experience in the Caribbean.
The colossal vehicle launched from south Texas on Thursday afternoon before experiencing "a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn" around 8 1/2 minutes later. SpaceX later said in a mission update that the result demonstrates the unpredictable nature of development testing.
The launch marked the seventh overall flight test of the 400-foot-tall Starship that lauched from SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas.
Several videos shared on social media captured debris raining down near the Atlantic Ocean and the reaction of flabbergasted bystanders unsure what they are witnessing.
"Are those shooting stars? What are those?" someone watching the breakup is heard saying from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
"Look up everybody! Look up!," someone else says.
Watch aftermath of Starship explosion
Elon Musk calls explosion entertaining
SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk addressed the destruction of the Starship on his social media platform X, accompanied by a video of the stunning display.
"Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" Musk wrote.
The test wasn't a total botch, though. SpaceX managed to successfully complete the rocket booster return and catch at the launch pad for the second time ever.
The booster was caught with the pair of giant mechanical arms referred to as "chopsticks." The maneuver was last pulled off during the fifth flight test on Oct. 13 as it was called off during the Nov. 19 liftoff.
Musk later revealed that "improved versions" of both the rocket and booster are "already waiting for launch."