SpaceX launches upgraded Starship rocket on latest test flight

SpaceX launched its most powerful Starship rocket to date Friday, marking another major test in the company’s efforts to develop spacecraft for future missions to the moon and Mars.

The giant rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in the US state of Texas, carrying a batch of simulated Starlink satellites as part of its 12th integrated test mission.

The launch came shortly after SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced plans to take the company public.

The upgraded Starship successfully carried out a controlled flip maneuver before making a targeted splashdown in the Indian Ocean near a buoy marked with the Starlink logo, according to SpaceX updates online.

SpaceX has conducted a series of Starship test flights in recent years as it works toward Musk’s long-term goal of establishing human settlements on Mars.

The company has increasingly expanded testing of the spacecraft’s landing and recovery capabilities ahead of future crewed missions.