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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Science
Richard Luscombe

SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket records first successful test flight

a spacecraft launches toward space
SpaceX's Starship launches its fourth flight test from the company's Boca Chica launchpad near Brownsville, Texas, on 6 January 2024. Photograph: SpaceX/Reuters

Starship, the mighty space rocket designed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, recorded its first fully successful test flight on Thursday, splashing down in the Indian Ocean minus any fiery explosion that ended previous attempts.

The demonstration mission from the Boca Chica launch complex in Texas sent Starship to almost 130 miles (210km) of altitude, at a speed above 16,000mph (25,700km/h), showcasing the capability of the world’s most powerful rocket that Nasa is banking on to one day send humans to Mars.

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