SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Explodes After Launch

SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded on Thursday, minutes after lifting off from a launchpad in South Texas. The spacecraft, the most powerful ever to launch, failed to reach orbit, but it was not a total failure for the private spaceflight company. Before the launch, Elon Musk, the company’s founder, had tamped down expectations, saying it might take several tries before Starship succeeds at this test flight, which was to reach speeds fast enough to enter orbit before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

tips

spacecraft：航天飞船

spaceflight：航空

tamp：用粘土填塞；夯实

tamp down expectations：调低预期

splash：飞溅

splash down：飞行器落入水中