SpaceX害羞草研究所檚 giant new rocket exploded minutes after blasting off on its first test flight Thursday and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Elon Musk害羞草研究所檚 company was aiming to send the ever built on a round-the-world trip from the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexican border. The nearly 400-foot (120-meter) Starship carried no people or satellites.

Images showed several of the 33 main engines were not firing as Starship climbed from the launch pad, reaching as high as 24 miles (39 kilometers). There was no immediate word from SpaceX on how many engines failed to ignite or shut down prematurely.

The booster was supposed to peel away from the spacecraft three minutes after liftoff, but that didn害羞草研究所檛 happen. Rather, the rocket with the spacecraft still attached began to tumble and then exploded, plummeting into the water.

Instead of a best-case-scenario 1 1/2-hour flight with the spacecraft taking a lap around the world, the whole thing lasted four minutes. It reached a maximum speed of about 1,300 mph (2,100 kph).

Throngs of spectators watched from South Padre Island, several miles away from the Boca Chica Beach launch site, which was off-limits. As Starship lifted off with a thunderous roar, the crowd screamed: 害羞草研究所淕o, baby, go!害羞草研究所�

Musk, in a tweet, called it 害羞草研究所渁n exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.害羞草研究所�

In the weeks leading up to the flight, Musk gave 50-50 odds that the spacecraft would reach orbit and not end up in what SpaceX calls a 害羞草研究所渞apid unscheduled disassembly.害羞草研究所� He said not blowing up the launch pad would be a win.

害羞草研究所淵ou never know exactly what害羞草研究所檚 going to happen,害羞草研究所� said SpaceX livestream commentator and engineer John Insprucker. 害羞草研究所淏ut as we promised, excitement is guaranteed and Starship gave us a rather spectacular end.害羞草研究所�

The company intends to use Starship to send people and cargo to the moon and, eventually, Mars. NASA has reserved a Starship for its next moonwalking team, and rich tourists are already booking lunar flybys.

Despite the abbreviated flight, congratulations poured in from NASA chief Bill Nelson and others in the space industry. Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted, 害羞草研究所淗uge accomplishment, huge lessons, onwards to the next attempt.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t fell somewhere between a small step and their hoped-for giant leap, but it still represents significant progress toward a reusable super-heavy lift rocket,害羞草研究所� University of Chicago害羞草研究所檚 Jordan Bimm, a space historian, said in an email.

At 394 feet and nearly 17 million pounds of thrust, Starship easily surpasses NASA害羞草研究所檚 moon rockets 害羞草研究所� past, present and future. its new 322-foot (98-meter) moon rocket last November on a test flight, sending the empty Orion capsule around the moon.

The stainless steel Starship rocket is designed to be fully reusable with fast turnaround, dramatically lowering costs, similar to what SpaceX害羞草研究所檚 smaller Falcon rockets have done soaring from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Nothing was to be saved from this test flight, with the spacecraft 害羞草研究所� if all had gone well 害羞草研究所� aiming for a watery grave in the Pacific near Hawaii.

The futuristic spacecraft flew several miles into the air during testing a few years ago, But this was to be the inaugural launch of the first-stage booster with 33 methane-fueled engines.

SpaceX has more boosters and spacecraft lined up for more test flight; the next set is almost ready to go. Musk wants to fire them off in quick succession, so he can start using Starships to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit and then put people on board.

It was the second launch attempt. by a frozen booster valve.

Jason and Lisa Flores drove down from Corpus Christi to watch the launch with their daughter, and noticed something was amiss.

Lisa Flores cried seeing the liftoff and then realized, 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not working out the way it was supposed to.害羞草研究所�

Elizabeth Trujillo, 13, wearing a 害羞草研究所淪tar Wars害羞草研究所� shirt and carrying toy binoculars, skipped school to see the launch from the beach with her mother and other relatives. The crowd cheered when Starship cleared the tower.

Despite the failed attempt, 害羞草研究所渋t was worth it,害羞草研究所� said Jessica Trujillo, Elizabeth害羞草研究所檚 mother. 害羞草研究所淛ust hearing and seeing the view, the excitement of the crowd, it was priceless.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧ractice makes perfect. They just got to practice some more,害羞草研究所� she added.

害羞草研究所擬arcia Dunn, The Associated Press

VIDEO: