SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight

Space SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight May 23, 20261:28 AM ET By  The Associated Press SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Friday, May 22, 2026. Eric Gay/AP hide caption toggle caption Eric Gay/AP SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. Space A trillion dollar question: Will SpaceX's Starship launch go well? The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceflight that stretched halfway around the world. The spacecraft reached its final destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in flames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX. Musk called it "an epic" launch and landing. Sponsor Message "You scored a goal for humanity," he told his team via X. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Friday, May 22, 2026. Eric Gay/AP hide caption toggle caption Eric Gay/AP SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. Ther...