This is the spectacular moment the SpaceX Starship exploded and crashed over the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Footage shows the falling debris leaving a fiery trail as it streaked across the picturesque blue-orange Caribbean sky, on January 16. Onlookers below marveled at the dazzling shower.

Greg Munch, a visitor to the islands, said: 'I am in Turks and Caicos and the Starship exploded right over our heads.'

The debris had left a trail of smoke across the Caribbean Sea as the spacecraft met its fiery end just eight minutes after launch from South Texas.

SpaceX described the event as a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly' after losing contact with the spacecraft. The explosion is another hurdle for SpaceX's ambitious rocket program.

SpaceX said it successfully retrieved the first-stage booster, marking the second successful catch of a Super Heavy booster. However, the explosion forced airlines to reroute flights over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid the falling wreckage.

American regulators and government officials said investigations into reports of property damage were underway.

Turks and Caicos officials and the Federal Aviation Administration said there were no injuries reported.

Space technology company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, designed the Starship to transport both crew and cargo 'to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond'.

The company said on its website that the spacecraft was envisioned to carry up to 100 people on interplanetary flights.