From CNBC: 2024-11-19 18:21:11

SpaceX successfully launched the sixth test flight of its Starship rocket from Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket reached space, traveled halfway around the Earth, and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. The booster did not clear criteria for a catch attempt and landed in the Gulf of Mexico instead.

SpaceX has been steadily increasing the cadence of its Starship rocket tests, with six flights since April 2023. The previous launch featured the first catch of the rocket’s booster. The company aims to make the Starship system fully reusable for flying cargo and people beyond Earth, including NASA’s Artemis moon program.

The Starship rocket is the tallest and most powerful ever launched. Fully stacked on the Super Heavy booster, it stands 397 feet tall with 33 Raptor engines producing 16.7 million pounds of thrust. Starship itself is 165 feet tall with six Raptor engines and requires over 10 million pounds of propellant for launch.



Read more at CNBC: Watch SpaceX launch Starship’s sixth test flight