SpaceX Completes Starship SN8's High-Altitude Flight Test, Crashes on Landing

SpaceX successfully launched its Starship SN-8 test rocket on December 9, 2020, before it crash-landed in a massive fireball on its launch pad. The test flight was the first high-altitude attempt for the vehicle, which lifted off at 5:45 pm. EST from its launch and development site in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeting afterward, "Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!!" Photo by SpaceX/UPI