The Ups and Downs of SpaceX: From Successful Launches to Explosive Failures.

The explosion of SpaceX's Starship rocket during its first flight test is being seen as a "successful failure" that will help accelerate development of the vehicle. Experts say that SpaceX's strategy of embracing failure when the consequences are low sets it apart from traditional aerospace companies and even NASA. The crewless flight provided a wealth of data that will advance Starship's development, and the risks of a single flight test were small in comparison to the ambitious gains at stake. Elon Musk has billed Starship as crucial to SpaceX's interplanetary exploration goals as well as its more near-term launch business.