SpaceX's Starship rocket explodes during historic test flight.
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the first time, but it exploded in mid-flight, falling short of reaching space. No crew were on board. Starship is designed to carry cargo and people beyond Earth and is critical to NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon. SpaceX won a nearly $3 billion contract from NASA to use Starship as a crewed lunar lander. The company had hoped to conduct the first orbital Starship launch as early as summer 2021, but faced delays in development and in winning FAA approval.