By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-16 23:31:37 | Updated at 2025-01-17 06:29:16
7 hours ago
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight on Thursday, catching the booster back at the pad but losing contact with the ascending spacecraft as engines went out.
Officials for Elon Musk’s company said the spacecraft was destroyed.
The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights.
SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites for practice at releasing them. It was the first flight of this new and upgraded spacecraft.
Before the loss, SpaceX for the second time used giant mechanical arms to catch the booster back at the pad minutes after lift-off from Texas.
The descending booster hovered over the launch pad before being gripped by a pair of mechanical arms dubbed chopsticks.
