SpaceX's Starship rocket prototype had its first successful test flight on Wednesday, touching down safely in south Texas after flying more than six miles over the Gulf of Mexico.
The 160-foot rocket is made of stainless steel and bullet shaped. Four earlier test flights of Starship prototypes all ended with explosions taking place either before, during, or immediately after landing, The Associated Press reports. SpaceX aims to use Starship to transport astronauts to the moon and people to Mars. Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
Russian lunar spacecraft crashes into the moonSpeed Read
-
Hurricane Hilary bringing unprecedented storm warnings to Southwest
Speed Read
-
NASA fully restores contact with Voyager 2 spacecraft
Speed Read
-
The US just banned most incandescent light bulbs, and few people even noticed
Speed Read
-
NASA loses contact with Voyager 2 probe
Speed Read
-
20 dead and 27 missing after lethal downpour in Beijing
Speed Read
-
Biden keeps U.S. Space Command in Colorado, reversing Trump move to Alabama
Speed Read
-
Scientists revive 46,000-year-old worm that was frozen in permafrost
Speed Read
