SpaceX SN11 flew into pieces during test flight

On Tuesday, an experimental SpaceX rocket exploded at the end of a high-altitude test flight, but heavy fog at the site left even SpaceX at least publicly uncertain about exactly what caused the explosion. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk did confirm the explosion on Twitter, saying.

Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent & didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed.

Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start. Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2021

All three of SpaceX’s previous launches of prototypes for this model of rocket crash-landed or exploded shortly after landing.

SpaceX engineer John Insprucker, who hosted a webcast of the test launch, said the rocket, known as SN11, had a normal ascent and that all appeared to be well before onboard cameras lost signal and the vehicle was subsumed by fog moments before landing.