SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket for the third time on Thursday, but the company lost communication with the vehicle before it made a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

The rocket lifted off at 8:25 a.m. Central Time from SpaceX's Starbase test site in Boca Chica, Texas.

About three minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, successfully separated from the upper-stage Starship spacecraft. SpaceX completed opening and closing the vehicle's payload door and transferring propellant between two of Starship's tanks in orbit during the flight test, according to the company's live broadcast.

But the vehicle was lost as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.

Both the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket booster made it much further into flight than during two previous flight tests in 2023.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called Thursday's test "successful." "Congrats to @SpaceX on a successful test flight! Starship has soared into the heavens. Together, we are making great strides through Artemis to return humanity to the Moon -- then look onward to Mars," Nelson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"At ~5000 tons, Starship is the largest flying object ever made," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is overseeing the SpaceX-led mishap investigation to ensure the company complies with its FAA-approved mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements.

The mishap involved both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship vehicle. No public injuries or public property damage have been reported, the FAA said in a statement.

The FAA will be involved in every step of the mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX's final report, including any corrective actions.

A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. In addition, SpaceX may need to modify its license to incorporate any corrective actions and meet all other licensing requirements, according to FAA.

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, collectively referred to as Starship, represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, Mars and beyond.

SpaceX made the first test flight of its fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket in April last year, but the vehicle exploded after liftoff from the launch pad in SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, South Texas.

During the second test flight in November last year, Starship blasted off from the launch pad, but exploded minutes after launch.

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