SpaceX's Starship Explodes During Second Major Flight Test

Despite the explosion, the spacecraft ascended to an unprecedented altitude, with the FAA now set to investigate the incident.

SpaceX's Starship, a super-heavy-lift rocket, exploded during its second major flight test, despite showing major engineering improvements over the past seven months.
The explosion was not unexpected and was part of a test to collect data on a new method of separating the booster from the spacecraft in the air, known as 'hot-staging'.
Despite the explosion, the spaceship continued to ascend to an altitude almost three times higher than the previous attempt.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the anomaly that resulted in the spacecraft's destruction and identify corrections SpaceX must complete before it can fly Starship again.
NASA, which has a $4 billion contract with SpaceX to use Starships to land astronauts on the moon during upcoming missions, may change the missions if key milestones continue to be missed.