SpaceX conducted its 12th test flight of the Starship spacecraft just two days after Elon Musk announced that he would take the company public. The launch took place on Friday from the southern tip of Texas at 5:30 pm local time (2230 GMT).

The third-generation Starship, dubbed V3, experienced minor issues during the flight, but SpaceX employees erupted in cheers during the livestream. The test ended about an hour later when the massive rocket reached the Indian Ocean and burst into flames upon impact.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” Musk wrote on X. At just over 407 feet (124 meters) when fully stacked, the latest design is larger than previous Starship versions. This is the 12th test flight of the rocket designed for future NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.

The test flight comes as SpaceX prepares for what could be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) in history next month. Ahead of the launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during the pre-launch program: “We’re looking forward to seeing this fly, because hopefully at some point in the not too distant future we’re going to join up in Earth orbit.”

NASA is preparing to land humans on the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years through the Artemis Program, while China targets 2030 for its first crewed mission. The space agency is paying both SpaceX and Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, billions of dollars to build lunar landers for Artemis astronauts.

Source: www.dw.com