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SpaceX Launches World’s Biggest Starship Rocket in Key Test for Mars Missions

Elon Musk’s 122-metre Starship lifted off from Texas in its 10th test flight as SpaceX works toward NASA’s Artemis program and future Mars landings

SpaceX launched its redesigned Starship rocket on Monday, marking the 10th flight test of the world’s largest spacecraft and a crucial step in Elon Musk’s long-term vision to reach Mars.

The test comes three months after both Starship and its Super Heavy booster were lost shortly after liftoff from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas. Two earlier 2025 attempts also ended in explosions.

For this flight, the main goals are to successfully recover both the booster and the upper-stage Starship. The launch was originally scheduled for Sunday but was delayed due to a ground systems issue.

Standing 122 meters tall when fully stacked, Starship is designed to carry crew and cargo to the Moon and Mars. NASA has awarded SpaceX a multi-billion-dollar contract to use Starship for the Artemis program, though delays have pushed the first crewed Moon landing from December 2025 to September 2026.

SpaceX recently introduced a new design for the rocket’s grid fins, which are 50% larger and stronger, to help guide the booster back to Earth.

Musk has said Starship could launch a mission to Mars as early as 2026, with human landings possible by the end of the decade. His ultimate goal is to build a fleet of thousands of Starships to establish a permanent human colony on Mars by 2050.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that The African Union (AU) has launched a campaign calling for the replacement of the centuries-old Mercator projection map.