Musk's SpaceX test launches Starship rocket; Trump attends

Elon Musk's SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket system from Boca Chica, Texas, on Tuesday, in a test attended by President-elect Donald Trump. While the launch marked progress in spaceflight technology, the mission faced a setback when the rocket's booster, Super Heavy, failed to land as planned. 

The 400-foot-tall Starship system is designed for lunar and Mars missions. The launch saw the Super Heavy booster separate successfully from the spacecraft at an altitude of about 40 miles, according to a report by Reuters.

The Starship spacecraft then travelled around Earth, reigniting its engine in space for the first time—a critical capability for future missions. It completed the test with a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean roughly an hour later.  

The booster, however, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to the launch tower as planned. The failure to execute a controlled landing was highlighted when it exploded upon impact, as shown in a live-stream footage.

This setback comes after a successful booster catch-landing test last month, which SpaceX had hoped to build upon in this trial, adds the Reuters report.  

The test flight was part of SpaceX's efforts to push Starship's capabilities, with CEO Elon Musk noting this mission involved thousands of design updates. The Federal Aviation Administration expedited the launch approval process, reflecting evolving support for the growing commercial space industry.  

SpaceX aims to significantly accelerate Starship development, leveraging support from the incoming Trump administration, further adds the Reuters report. The company is eyeing increased NASA collaboration through the Artemis program, with Musk prioritising Mars as the ultimate destination.