SpaceX’s Starship rocket has launched into the skies during its ninth test flight, part of the Elon Musk-led company’s ambitious effort to develop a spacecraft capable of supporting interplanetary missions. However, the rocket broke apart mid-flight.

“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” SpaceX said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

“Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.”

“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary,” the company added.

The 400-foot-tall rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, after receiving clearance from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The flight came after significant upgrades were made to the rocket, following upper-stage failures during previous test flights in January and March.