The plan for the integrated test flight was for the Super Heavy booster to separate from the Starship after launch and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
They however failed to separate and the booster rocket and Starship spacecraft spun out of control, exploding four minutes into the test flight, in what SpaceX politely called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”.
Had the separation occurred, the Starship, which has six engines of its own, would have risen to an altitude of about 150 miles, completing a near-circle of Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii about 90 minutes after launch. Had to continue
“If we get far enough from the launchpad before something goes wrong, I think I’ll consider it a success,” Musk said before the test. “Just don’t blow up the launchpad.”
SpaceX eventually puts one Starship into orbit, and then refuels it with another Starship so that it can continue its journey to Mars or beyond.
The ultimate objective, according to Musk, is to establish bases on the Moon and Mars and put humans “on the path to being a multi-planetary civilization”.
“That’s our goal. I think we have a chance.”