New York, 14 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) — SpaceX's massive Starship rocket successfully blasted off into space for its third unmanned test flight but was then destroyed while returning to Earth on Thursday, the company said.

"The ship has been lost," a SpaceX commentator said on the company's livestream.

The test flight for the largest rocket system ever built was planned to last about an hour, after which both rocket stages were to land in the sea.

The splashdown in the Indian Ocean was unsuccessful and the Starship was destroyed, but it did reach space for the first time.

SpaceX said the test achieved significantly more of its objectives than its previous two launches, which also failed.

During a first test last April, the entire missile system exploded after just a few minutes.

During a second test in November, the two rocket stages separated and the upper stage continued to fly, but shortly afterwards both exploded separately.

The Starship - consisting of the approximately 70-metre-long Super Heavy booster and the approximately 50-metre-long upper stage, also called Starship - was designed to enable manned missions to the moon and Mars.

The entire system is expected to transport more than 100 tons of cargo in the future.

SpaceX owner, tech billionaire Elon Musk, congratulated the team and wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Starship will take humanity to Mars."

German astronaut Alexander Gerst described the test flight on X as a "major step forward."

Gerst wrote, "Every time a little farther, beyond the horizon!"