A SpaceX Starship upper stage exploded during ramp-up to an expected engine test firing at the company's Starbase facility on the Texas Gulf Coast. It's an apparent major setback for the program.

Part of testing is pushing components way past their limits, so it's entirely possible that the team predicted a fiery end.

• SpaceX’s Starship megarocket — the most powerful launch vehicle ever built — successfully completed an hour-long test flight. • The company has had a rocky year of test missions with this generation ...