SpaceX launched its latest version of the Starship spacecraft on Friday as Elon Musk’s rocket company moves closer to a record-breaking public listing.
There were a few minor hiccups on the trip, but SpaceX employees rejoiced in the livestream.
The test flight comes as SpaceX prepares for the largest initial public offering in history next month.
SpaceX launches its 12th starship
The third-generation Starship, called V3, lifted off from the southern tip of Texas just after 5:30 p.m. local time (2230 GMT).
The test ended about an hour later when the giant rocket touched down in the Indian Ocean before bursting into flames after impact.
“You scored a goal for humanity,” Musk wrote on the X.
At more than 407 feet (124 m) tall when fully erect, the latest design is larger than the older Starship lines.
It is the 12th test flight of the rocket designed for future NASA missions to the Moon and even Mars.
NASA’s new moon mission
Ahead of the launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a pre-launch SpaceX event: “We’re looking forward to seeing this flight, because hopefully at some point in the near future we’re going to be 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, as China targets 2030 for its first crewed mission.
The space agency is paying billions of dollars to both SpaceX and Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, to build lunar landers for Artemis astronauts.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko