Space
SpaceX Notches Longest Starship Flight Before Losing Rocket
- Third test mission of massive craft reached near orbit
- Prior flights ended with explosions minutes after launch
This article is for subscribers only.
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket into space in a critical test, sending the colossal craft farther and faster than it had ever flown, before it was lost while returning to Earth.
The mission, which featured several key demonstrations of the craft’s capabilities, lasted much longer than the past two attempts, which each ended quickly in explosions. The achievement brings the company a step closer to using Starship to launch satellites and eventually reaching Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s goal of ferrying humans to the moon and Mars.