Originally Posted by louismcc
Those starship launches have been a bit controversial. The rocket is so big that if there is a failure it is usually pretty spectacular. The first launch blew debris from the launch pad over a wide area. They've gotten progressively better. The latest one had a minor failure in their efforts to catch the spent booster.
per SpaceX website - "The Super Heavy booster successfully lifted off at the start of the launch window, with all 33 Raptor engines powering it and Starship off the pad from Starbase. Following a nominal ascent and stage separation, the booster successfully transitioned to its boostback burn to begin the return to launch site. During this phase, automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt. The booster then executed a pre-planned divert maneuver, performing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico."