Eight minutes after the 400ft rocket system launched from the company’s Starbase in Texas, the upper-stage spacecraft’s engines malfunctioned and the vehicle spun out of control before exploding in the atmosphere above the Caribbean. The lower-stage super heavy booster returned to the launch pad after separation and was caught by mechanical arms.

Like last time, Starship had four mock satellites to eject once the craft reached space on this eighth test flight as a practice for future missions. They resembled SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, thousands of which currently orbit Earth, and were meant to fall back down following their brief taste of space.