Elon Musk's SpaceX is set for the debut launch of its latest Starship iteration on Thursday, testing the most powerful version yet of the megarocket as the company targets a blockbuster initial public offering. The planned launch comes a day after SpaceX filed with US financial regulators to go public, likely in June, in what is expected to become a record IPO. The filing provides potential investors with detailed financial information, risk factors and business strategy.
Thursday's launch will also provide a live-streamed look at SpaceX's progress in developing its enormous Starship rocket, a key component of its own ambitious plans as well as US space agency NASA's program to return to the Moon. It will be the 12th Starship flight, but the first in seven months. The latest design is bigger than its predecessor, standing at about 407 feet (124 meters) tall when fully stacked.
