A minute before the loss, SpaceX used the launch tower’s giant mechanical arms to catch the returning booster, a feat achieved only once before. The descending booster hovered over the launch pad before being gripped by the pair of arms dubbed chopsticks.

SpaceX is set to launch the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket, which will include a crucial test for how it will deploy satellites.

While the Starship is lost, the mission's first-stage booster successfully returned to the launch tower, where it was caught by the tower's robotic arms.

Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause," SpaceX wrote on X. "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.