Starship will 'make life multiplanetary', says Elon Musk after SpaceX launch

This led to cameras and telemetry signals failing, with the spaceship thought to be destroyed as it attempted to land in the Indian Ocean.

The Super Heavy Booster used to transport the spacecraft into orbit also crashed into the Gulf of Mexico after separating from Starship, as its engines failed to fully reignite for a soft landing at sea. 

SpaceX also skipped a test to reignite Starship’s engines while in space, something that will be crucial for safely landing the spacecraft. 

The test lacked the spectacle of SpaceX’s reusable rocket launches, in which the vehicles land vertically on launch pads, but provided views of the Earth and a rare glimpse of its rocket’s hull glowing with plasma as it descended.

Mr Musk did not appear to be present at SpaceX mission control during the launch, having held meetings in Germany and France on Wednesday.

The launch was delayed by more than an hour because of weather conditions at SpaceX’s “Starbase” headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas.