Elon Musk’s SpaceX  launched Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas. The launch was attended by United States President-elect Donald Trump. Trump was seen alongside Musk as the rocket embarked on its sixth test flight from SpaceX’s expansive rocket development site. The goal of this test flight was to ensure the booster’s return to the launch site for recovery, reignite a ship Raptor engine while in space, and test various heatshield experiments and manoeuvring adjustments for the spacecraft’s reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean.

Trump had announced his attendance through a post on X. He wrote, “I’m heading to the Great State of Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground. Good luck to @ElonMusk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!”

What Is Starship?

According to SpaceX, Starship will be used to land astronauts on the lunar surface on NASA’s Artemis III mission, which will put the first humans on the Moon since 1972.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket are collectively referred to as Starship. They represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

SpaceX claims Starship to be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system. The vehicle comes in several different configurations, offers an integrated payload section and is capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Along with all these features, Starship is capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less.

Starship is powered by six engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space.

Starship has successfully ignited one of its Raptor engines while in space for the first time. Starship is fully loaded with more than 4,500 metric tons (10 million pounds) of propellant.

The Starship test flight concluded successfully, with the rocket splashing down at its target in the Indian Ocean. However, the booster failed to complete its planned catch-landing.