SpaceX has successfully launched its massive Starship rocket from Texas, marking the 12th test flight of what is currently the world’s most powerful rocket.
The latest version of Starship stands 124 metres tall, making it bigger and more powerful than earlier models. It lifted off from a brand new launch pad at Starbase, a facility near the Mexican border in Texas.
Although a few of the engines had problems during the flight, the mission was largely a success. The rocket deployed 20 dummy satellites into space before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. Dummy satellites are fake versions used for testing, so no real equipment was at risk.
One of Starship’s most impressive features is that it is designed to be fully reusable. Special mechanical arms at the launch pad are built to catch the rocket when it comes back to Earth, meaning it can be launched again without being rebuilt. That kind of reusability could make space travel much cheaper in the future. However, the catching system was not used on this particular test flight.
So why does this matter? NASA is hoping to use Starship as part of its Artemis programme, which aims to land astronauts back on the Moon. It would be the first time humans have set foot on the Moon since 1972.
Looking even further ahead, SpaceX hopes Starship could one day carry people all the way to Mars.
