The rocket system, standing approximately 400 feet tall (122 meters), is intended for missions to land astronauts on the moon and transport crews to Mars. It lifted off at 4 p.m. CT (2200 GMT) from SpaceX's extensive development site in Boca Chica, Texas.
The first stage booster, known as Super Heavy and measuring 233 feet tall (71 meters), separated from the Starship at an altitude of about 40 miles (62 km), propelling the spacecraft into orbit.
Unexpectedly, Super Heavy fell into the Gulf of Mexico instead of landing as planned, where it was supposed to be captured by large mechanical arms on the launch tower. This deviation indicated a malfunction during the landing process.
A live stream, separate from SpaceX's coverage and hosted by space blogger Everyday Astronaut, captured the moment the Super Heavy booster exploded into a large fireball on the horizon after its splashdown.
Last month, Starship had successfully demonstrated a new catch-landing technique, achieving a significant milestone in its reusable design. Musk had indicated on social media that Tuesday's catch-landing would be "faster/harder."
Following the October 14 Starship test, Trump expressed his fascination with the innovative landing method, remarking at a rally, "Did you see the way that sucker landed today?"
Despite the setback with the booster, the remainder of the mission was successful. Starship completed a circuit around Earth and executed a daytime splashdown in the Indian Ocean about an hour later. It also reignited one of its onboard engines in space for the first time, testing its maneuverability—an objective SpaceX had previously attempted but failed to achieve in earlier flights.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who is anticipated to step down when Trump assumes office in January, extended his congratulations to SpaceX via a post on X, highlighting that the successful reignition of Starship's in-space engine represents "significant progress towards orbital flight."
Trump's participation indicates a strengthening partnership with Musk, who stands to gain from Trump's potential victory. The billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is likely to exert considerable influence to advance his companies and secure advantageous government policies.
As the richest individual globally, Musk has been a vocal supporter of Trump's presidential campaign, joining him at rallies and contributing over $119 million in political backing.
"I'm heading to the Great State of Texas to witness the launch of the largest object ever lifted, not just into space, but from the ground," Trump shared on social media, offering his best wishes to Musk for the launch.
On November 13, Trump appointed Musk as co-leader of a new initiative aimed at enhancing government efficiency, which Musk has claimed will eliminate wasteful spending and burdensome regulations within the federal government.
The regulation of commercial rocket launches by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has been a point of contention for Musk, who has expressed frustration over the agency's hindrance to his company's ambitions of reaching Mars.
However, the FAA's approval of the Starship launch license on Tuesday, occurring just over a month after the rocket's last flight, marks the fastest regulatory response SpaceX has experienced, as the agency works to establish new launch-approval protocols to keep up with the expanding U.S. space industry.
On Tuesday, Musk outlined four primary goals for the test flight: reigniting Starship's specialized engine during the flight, achieving a more visible ocean landing in daylight—contrary to previous nighttime attempts—subjecting Starship to greater thermal stress during reentry, and accelerating the booster landing process.
"There are thousands of minor design modifications also being evaluated," Musk noted.
SpaceX is anticipating rapid progress in the development of Starship under a potential second Trump administration. This administration's space policy is likely to enhance the focus on NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon, while also prioritizing the more ambitious objective of sending humans to Mars, a key goal for Musk.
"Having just surpassed 400 launches with Falcon, I wouldn't be surprised if we achieve 400 Starship launches within the next four years," stated SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell during her remarks at the Baron Investment Conference in New York last week, highlighting the company's flagship rocket.