SpaceX giant rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

(AP) SpaceX’s giant new rocket exploded minutes after blasting off on it first test flight and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Elon Musk’s company was aiming to send the nearly 400-foot (120-meter) Starship rocket on a round-the-world trip from the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexican border.

It carried no people or satellites. SpaceX plans to use Starship to send people and cargo to the moon and, ultimately, Mars.

A stuck valve scrapped Monday's try.

Throngs of spectators watched from several miles away from the Boca Chica Beach launch site, which was off-limits.

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[bbb]

That cheer shows a healthy bunch of people who want to soften the blow for each other.

[bbb]

That cheer was a healthy thing. I think they all knew how much it hurt and wanted to keep heads up.

[TheTruEvn]

? They wanted it to blow up? I’m confused?

[michman]

This is an embarrassment to the American space program. Did nobody Google Giant trench under rocket, what's that for?

[olivianoegonzalez]

Gas prices just skyrocketed thru' the roof elon

[thatjoeguy]

For those not understanding the cheer, the goal of this flight test was simply to see if their engine startup worked, then a successful throttle up and if they could clear the pad. Everything past that was icing on the cake. Although they didn't get far they actually got a bonus when it survived past Max-Q which was another milestone.