Footage shows SpaceX launching its eighth Starship test flight from Starbase in Texas.

The 403ft high space rocket blasted off into the sky on March 7 at 6:30 pm local time.

Seven minutes later, the Super Heavy booster returned to the platform, successfully caught mid-air by the launch tower's 'chopstick' arms.

This test marked the third successful booster recovery using this method, a significant milestone for the company's ambitious reusable rocket program.

However, the mission quickly encountered trouble. The upper stage, known as 'Ship,' was expected to deploy four dummy Starlink satellites approximately 17.5 minutes into the flight before splashing down in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. Instead, multiple failures in its six Raptor engines disrupted the ascent, causing the vehicle to tumble.

SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft nine minutes after launch, with indications suggesting it likely exploded at high altitude.

On January 16, during Starship's seventh test flight, the Super Heavy booster also executed a flawless catch, but the upper stage was lost at a similar phase of the mission.

Dan Huot, SpaceX communications manager, said during the live broadcast: 'Obviously, a lot to go through, a lot to dig through, and we're going right at it. We have some more to learn about this vehicle.

'Once you lose enough of those centre engines, you're going to lose attitude control. And so, we did see the ship start to go into a spin, and at this point, we have lost contact with the ship.'

On March 6, another spacecraft reportedly experienced a mid-flight breakup during its eighth test flight from Starbase in Texas, scattering wreckage over the Sunshine State.

Local media reported that the rocket was carrying a Starlink satellite when the explosion occurred, with contact lost just nine minutes into the flight.

The launch aimed to reignite a Starship engine in space and deploy a batch of 'mock satellites.'

Authorities said the incident temporarily disrupted flights at multiple Florida airports, including Miami and Orlando, due to concerns over falling flaming debris.

A previous Starship test flight in January also ended in an explosion over the Caribbean, damaging a car and scattering debris across populated islands.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said: 'A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again.

'The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX's final report, including any corrective actions. A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.'

Elon Musk, an entrepreneur and business magnate, founded SpaceX in 2002. The private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company is dedicated to revolutionising space travel and making humanity a multiplanetary species.

SpaceX has achieved numerous milestones, including launching the first privately funded spacecraft to reach orbit, the first to dock with the ISS, and the first to send astronauts into space from American soil since the Space Shuttle programme.