Kathmandu: SpaceX, the company owned by the world’s richest entrepreneur Elon Musk, has achieved another major milestone. Its most powerful rocket, *Starship*, has successfully completed its 11th test flight. The launch was successful, taking place from Boca Chica, Texas, and landing in the Indian Ocean.
Starship — the largest and most powerful rocket ever built — was launched from southern Texas. According to the flight plan, the booster made a controlled descent into the Gulf of Mexico, while the spacecraft continued its flight into orbit before landing in the Indian Ocean.
During the test flight, Starship completed a partial orbit around the Earth, similar to its previous (10th) test mission. The Super Heavy booster successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship spacecraft landed in the Indian Ocean. The entire test lasted for 1 hour and 6 minutes.
Starship consists of two parts — the upper *Starship* spacecraft and the lower *Super Heavy* booster — collectively referred to as *Starship*. The test aimed to advance SpaceX’s future rocket launch capabilities. Standing at 403 feet tall, Musk has stated that Starship will one day be used to transport humans to Mars.
SpaceX also plans to use Starship to send astronauts to the Moon, making it the world’s largest and most powerful rocket for human space exploration. The 10th Starship test, conducted on August 27, was also successful, achieving all its objectives, including launching a Starlink simulator satellite and igniting its engines. The rocket is designed for reusability, enabling it to carry humans from lunar orbit to the surface and back.
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