Boca Chica | SpaceX's mega Starship rocket completed its first full test flight Thursday, returning to Earth without exploding after blasting off from Texas.

The previous three test flights ended in explosions of the rocket and the spacecraft. This time, both managed to splash down in a controlled fashion.

The world's largest and most powerful rocket — almost 400 feet (121 metres) tall — was empty as it soared above the Gulf of Mexico and headed east on a flight to the Indian Ocean.

Minutes after Thursday morning's liftoff, the first-stage booster separated from the spacecraft and splashed into the gulf precisely as planned, after firing its engines.

An hour later, live views showed parts of the spacecraft breaking away during the intense heat of reentry, but it remained intact enough to transmit data all the way to its targeted splashdown site in the Indian Ocean.