SpaceX's Starship Explodes for Third Consecutive Time, Musk Vows More Launches

SpaceX's Starship system exploded during a test flight on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive failure for Elon Musk's rocket company. The un-crewed mission, the ninth test flight, saw the Super Heavy booster and Starship rocket malfunction, following similar incidents in January and March.

The Starship system, standing at 400 feet when stacked, is designed for transporting people and equipment to the Moon and eventually Mars. The livestream showed the booster exploding and the spacecraft suffering a fuel leak before spinning out of control during reentry.

The FAA confirmed no public injuries or property damage. Musk noted improvements over the last flight but acknowledged issues with fuel leaks during reentry. SpaceX plans to increase launch frequency to every three to four weeks.