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SpaceX launches, lands Starship in 1st successful flight

SpaceX's Starship prototype lands successfully after a 6 mile high test flight. Photo: SpaceX / YouTube
SpaceX's Starship prototype lands successfully after a 6 mile high test flight. Photo: SpaceX / YouTube

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has finally launched and successfully landed its futuristic Starship.

The full-scale, stainless steel, bullet-shaped rocketship blasted off from the southeastern tip of Texas on Wednesday in the company's latest test flight. It soared more than 6 miles, before flipping and descending horizontally. It then went vertical again just in time for touchdown.

A fire at the base of the rocket quickly was extinguished, and the rocket remained standing.

It was the fifth high-altitude test flight of the rocketship that SpaceX's Elon Musk plans to use to land astronauts on the moon and send people to Mars.

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