SpaceX launches massive Starship V3 rocket on test flight

The first attempted launch on Thursday was postponed due to a malfunctioning hydraulic pin in the launch tower. Elon Musk's SpaceX launches Starship V3 rocket after delays Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A black SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft lifts off. SpaceX launches massive Starship V3 rocket on test flight Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched the biggest-ever Starship rocket a day after its highly anticipated test flight was delayed. The uncrewed Starship V3 rocket blasted off from its launchpad in Texas just after 17:30 (2230 GMT) on Friday, days after SpaceX revealed plans for a record-breaking stock market debut. The uncrewed Starship V3 rocket blasted off from its launchpad in Texas just after 17:30 (2230 GMT) on Friday, days after SpaceX revealed plans for a record-breaking stock market debut The test flight ended after about an hour later when Starship splashed down into the Indian Ocean and exploded as planned. "Congratulations @SpaceX team on an epic first Starship V3 launch & landing!" Musk posted on his X platform. "You scored a goal for humanity." A space rocket flies upwards into a clear blue sky, leaving a huge grey trail behind it in a widening streak. The SpaceX team celebrated after the launch of the most powerful and tallest rocket ever, and while the mission achieved most of its major objectives, it did not go exactly to plan. SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said the booster failed to complete its so-called boost-back burn after launch. One of Starship's engines also malfunctioned, which forced a slightly longer burn from the remaining five to compensate. While it did not fly into exactly the correct orbit, Huot said it was travelling along a trajectory that was "within bounds". "I wouldn't call it nominal orbital insertion," Huot said. Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated Musk and the SpaceX team. "One step closer to the Moon… one step closer to Mars," he posted on X. During its suborbital cruise phase, Starship successfully released its payload of 20 mock Starlink satellites, along with two satellites that scanned its heat shield and sent data back to the ground during the its descent. It was the 12th flight of a SpaceX rocket, and this time featured its latest design which stands 124 meters (407 feet) high. The debut of the Starship V3 comes ahead of SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO), which is set to be the largest in Wall Street history. It could start next month. Because of the shares Musk will own in SpaceX, which values itself at $1.25tn, the listing could make him the first-ever trillionaire. SpaceX not only makes rockets, but has a satellite internet service called Starlink, and owns the controversial artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI. Elon Musk is shown in the Oval Office, looking away from the camera to the right against a blurred backdrop showing paintings of former US presidents on the wall behind him. Who is Elon Musk and what is his net worth? It comes just a day after the firm revealed plans for a record-breaking stock market debut. A Texas-based company wants to expand its deep space communitcations network. Seeing Artemis has made space careers a reality for children, says a woman who promotes STEM jobs. The social media giant will pay A$650,000 plus legal costs, ending a three-year legal saga. Musk's rocket-maker and satellite internet provider will trade under the ticker SPCX The trial in Oakland, California has helped lift the veil on the AI sector - and the huge egos of the men at the heart of it. Musk has lost his high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI, but is not likely to change his aggressive style. Jurors spent weeks hearing about Musk's claim that Altman had "stolen a charity."