The fourth time’s the charm for SpaceX as its mega Starship rocket launched from Texas Thursday in its first successful test flight.
Minutes after liftoff, the rocket booster, known as Super Heavy, separated from the spacecraft as planned and landed in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Starship capsule headed east for about an hour-long flight, splashing down in the Indian Ocean.
The prior three test flights of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket ended in explosions.
NASA has ordered two Starships for a pair of moon-landing missions planned for later this decade.
This video was produced by Casey Kuhn.
Subscribe:
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: https://www.pbs.org/newshour