The massive Starship rocket launched from the southern edge of Texas on Sunday, marking the maiden launch. Surprisingly, the first-stage rocket returned to the launch pad, where the 232-foot booster was captured by the metal arms of the tower.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, referred to it as a “Big step towards making life multiplanetary.”
A MISSION TO SPACE STATION STARTED BY SPACEX WILL RESTORE STRANDED NASA Astronauts Next Year
Building on SpaceX’s accomplishments, the spacecraft continued its orbit around the globe, reaching a height of over 130 miles before finally touching down in the Indian Ocean.
With 33 methane-fuel engines on the booster alone, Starship is the largest and most potent rocket ever constructed.
A NASA probe departed the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, the following day on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, headed toward Jupiter and its moon Europa.
In order to ascertain whether the moon’s icy shell could sustain life, the Europa Clipper will look beneath it.
