Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Marcia Dunn and Rachel Dobkin

SpaceX successfully launches Starship rocket

  • SpaceX successfully launched the 11th test flight of Elon Musk’s giant Starship rocket from Texas on Monday.
  • The mission aimed for the rocket to travel halfway around the world, releasing mock satellites, similar to previous tests.
  • The booster was programmed to drop into the Gulf of Mexico, with the spacecraft descending into the Indian Ocean after skimming space, with no recovery planned.
  • This test flight, which carried eight mock Starlink satellites, incorporated more maneuvering and re-entry tests over the Indian Ocean.
  • Elon Musk intends to use Starship for future missions to Mars, and NASA requires the reusable vehicle for landing astronauts on the moon by the end of the decade.

IN FULL

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.