Relive SpaceX's explosive 1st Starship test flight in these incredible launch photos

Brett Tingley
·4 min read
2
SpaceX's Starship explodes during its 1st fully integrated test flight on April 20, 2023.
SpaceX's Starship explodes during its 1st fully integrated test flight on April 20, 2023.

SpaceX's Starship did not disappoint on its first test flight.

The 394-foot-tall (120 meters) Starship, the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, took off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas at 9:33 a.m. EDT (1333 GMT; 8:33 a.m. local Texas time) on April 20, 2023. Powered by 33 Raptor engines, Starship roared through the morning sky to the delight of spectators gathered on nearby South Padre Island.

Starship didn't fly for long, however. The massive stainless steel vehicle apparently encountered an issue separating from its Super Heavy rocket booster a few minutes into its flight. After tumbling through the air, the huge rocket exploded in what SpaceX calls a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" just under four minutes after launch.

Nevertheless, SpaceX has hailed the test flight as a success. "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starship's reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary," the company wrote on Twitter following the launch.

Relive the explosive first Starship test flight with these incredible images below.

Related: SpaceX's 1st Starship launches on epic test flight, explodes in 'rapid unscheduled disassembly'

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SpaceX's Starship lifts off on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's Starship lifts off on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's Starship lifts off during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's Starship lifts off during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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Spectators watch from South Padre Island, Texas, as the SpaceX Starship launches for a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.
Spectators watch from South Padre Island, Texas, as the SpaceX Starship launches for a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.

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SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's starship soars through the air during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's starship tumbles through the air while facing an issue during its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's starship tumbles through the air while facing an issue during its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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The SpaceX Starship maneuvers for a second stage separation after launching on a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.
The SpaceX Starship maneuvers for a second stage separation after launching on a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.

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SpaceX's Starship explodes, ending its first test flight on April 20, 2023
SpaceX's Starship explodes, ending its first test flight on April 20, 2023

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SpaceX's Starship falls to Earth after exploding on its first test flight on April 20, 2023.
SpaceX's Starship falls to Earth after exploding on its first test flight on April 20, 2023.

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Spectators watch the first test flight of SpaceX's Starship on April 20, 2023
Spectators watch the first test flight of SpaceX's Starship on April 20, 2023

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Spectators wait for SpaceX's Starship to launch from Boca Chica, Texas on April 20, 2023
Spectators wait for SpaceX's Starship to launch from Boca Chica, Texas on April 20, 2023

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk congratulated the company following the launch on Twitter, adding that another Starship launch will follow in a few months.

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Spaceflight photographer John Kraus caught this stunning shot of Starship streaking through the Texas sky, posting it to Twitter shortly after launch.

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NASA Spaceflight photographer Max Evans caught this shot of Starship shortly after liftoff.

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Photographer Trevor Mahlmann managed to frame Starship straight on in the image below that drives home the sheer size and power of the plume coming from Super Heavy's 33 Raptor engines.

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