SpaceX launched its enormous Starship toward orbit for the first time Monday, aiming for six full laps around Earth to prove its readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program.
\n\nThe company stressed that everything needed to be operating properly before issuing the critical “go” for orbit. A “no-go” call would bring the flight to a quick, early end in the Indian Ocean.
\n\nFounder Elon Musk’s showpiece rocket — the biggest and most powerful ever built — carried 26 of the latest and most advanced Starlink satellites to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service.
\n\nIt was Starship’s 14th full-scale launch from Texas’ southern tip in three years. The earlier test flights ventured no farther than the Indian Ocean halfway around the world, often crashing in flames and briefly skimming space.
\n\nThis time, SpaceX was intent on circling the globe from an altitude of 170 miles — not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile.
\n\nThe first-stage booster wasn’t meant to return to the Starbase launch site either, instead dropping into the Gulf of Mexico within minutes of the morning liftoff.
\n\nSpaceX wants to ensure that everything works before flying Starship…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/