A beautiful machine came to an ugly end on April 20 when SpaceX’s sleek, silvery, 40-story tall Starship rocket consumed itself in an orange and white fireball just four minutes after launch and 39 km (24 mi.) above the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas. As maiden voyages go, it was not pretty. In the days since, much virtual ink has been spilled, both applauding the launch and condemning its failure.