Space News: SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Orbital Test
They launched the first orbital test of the SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster this morning from South Texas. As the image and diagram show, six of the 33 engines didn’t start or didn't stay lit on ascent. Things went to worse as they got to booster staging, when they evidently tried to flip the whole gigantic stack over to separate the booster into its descent profile--to practice for recovery. The largest rocket ever launched never stopped flipping, and was either torn to pieces by aero forces or was destroyed remotely. SpaceX likely tried at least one too many new things on its first ascent.
Comparisons to the 30-engine Soviet N-1 are probably inevitable. The Soviets couldn't keep all those engines on their Moon rocket lit, either. They might have solved the problems eventually, but by then the race to the Moon was over.
With very expensive lessons learned, Elon Musk says they will try again in a few months.
Update: I based theses conclusions on comments from the mission narrators on the live coverage. Not sure the “flip” was intentionally part of the test. I’ll check my work later.
Update: “In a statement Thursday afternoon, SpaceX said the Starship’s Super Heavy booster stage “experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble.”“
SpaceX launches largest rocket ever built, but test flight ends in explosion -Spaceflight Now