The'starship', a spacecraft for migration to Mars, being developed by SpaceX, an American space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, exploded during a test launch.



However, it soared up to the Earth's stratosphere and set a record for flying to its highest height.



SpaceX reported that the Starship prototype'SN8' was able to reach its highest height by flying for 6 minutes and 42 seconds at the Boca Chica launch base in Texas on the 9th, but it has exploded during landing, the Associated Press reported.



This prototype, measuring 50m in height and 9m in diameter, is the first model to be equipped with a'nose cone', the head of a warhead-shaped spacecraft, a'flap', a surface control device, and three engines.



Starship is a giant spacecraft being developed by SpaceX aimed at human migration to Mars.



Starship set the highest record in this day's flight by soaring up to 12.5 km above the Earth's stratosphere.



However, in the process of re-igniting the rocket engine in order to secure reverse thrust prior to landing on the ground, the hull tilted back slightly and soon crashed and exploded.



Elon Musk expressed satisfaction by saying, "Mars, we go there," although the Starship exploded.



"It was a successful flight," Musk tweeted, "It was a successful flight. The torso wings accurately guided the Starship to the landing point." And analyzed the cause of the explosion.



Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, the founder of SpaceX competitor Blue Origin, agrees with Musk's assessment of the success of the test flight.



SpaceX plans to use Starship to complete human migration to Mars by 2050, and plans to increase the size of the Starship to 122m and develop it into a large spacecraft with a maximum occupancy of 100.



(Photo = Reuters, Yonhap News)