The upper stage of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded minutes after launch from Texas on Thursday, leading the aerospace company to declare the vessel a "loss" in the seventh test flight of the heavy-lift spacecraft.

The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, was successfully caught in the launch tower's mechanical arms for only the second time

A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.