December 9, 2020, 6:28 PM 0:40 This SpaceX video frame grab image shows SpaceX's Starship SN8 rocket prototype crashing on landing at the company's Boca Chica, Texas, facility during an attempted high-altitude launch test on Dec. 9, 2020. AFP via Getty Images SpaceX's Starship rocket, a test flight for a vehicle expected to eventually carry passengers to the moon and Mars, exploded after launch Wednesday, making impact with the ground while trying to land. The ship had no one aboard. The launch and ascent were successful, but as the engines appeared to reignite for landing, the vehicle flipped back to vertical and then slammed into the ground. The vehicle exploded on ground impact. It had been expected to reach an altitude of about 41,000 feet on the test flight. This SpaceX video frame grab image shows SpaceX's Starship SN8 rocket prototype taking off at the company's Boca Chica, Texas, facility during an attempted high-altitude launch test on Dec. 9, 2020. Handout/AFP via Getty Images MORE: 4 astronauts launch for ISS in historic NASA-SpaceX mission "This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle’s three Raptor engines perform to the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities of the vehicle (including its body flaps) to how the vehicle manages propellant transition," SpaceX wrote of the launch on its website. "SN8 will also attempt to perform a landing flip maneuver, which would be a first for a vehicle of this size." The Serial Number 8, or SN8, rocket was going to launch from SpaceX's facility in Texas on Tuesday, but was scrapped at the last minute due to an engine issue. This SpaceX video frame grab image shows SpaceX's Starship SN8 rocket prototype crashing on landing at the company's Boca Chica, Texas, facility during an attempted high-altitude launch test on Dec. 9, 2020. AFP via Getty Images SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted, "Mars, here we come!" after the crash landing, though he proclaimed the test successful despite the explosion. Popular Reads