SpaceX starship rocket explodes in third straight setback
Boca Chica, Texas | SpaceX's colossal Starship rocket suffered a leak, tumbled out of control in space and exploded during a test flight on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), in a third straight major setback for the Elon Musk-led company.
The launch system, comprised of the Starship upper portion and its Super Heavy booster, thundered off the company's launchpad in South Texas at around 6:36 pm local time. As Starship lifted off on its mission, around 1.1 million people tuned in on X.
Bloomberg
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SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman's nomination in April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon. Musk lamented Trump's decision, posting on the X site that, "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted". SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.
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