A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight Thursday, catching the booster back at the pad but losing contact with the ascending spacecraft as engines went out. The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights.

Flawed rocket launches by SpaceX and Blue Origin still leave both companies in position to dominate the space sector.