VIDEO: SpaceX aborts Starhopper prototype test after fire erupts

BOCA CHICA, Texas (KABC) -- SpaceX suffered a setback Wednesday night when its prototype Mars spacecraft, nicknamed "Starhopper," was supposed to lift about 65 feet off the ground during a test in Boca Chica, Texas.

Instead, it spewed flames and smoke, then shut down.

The experimental craft did not appear to be damaged.

Starhopper is an early pre-cursor to a rocket called "Starship," which is expected to carry people into space as soon as 2023.