ROCKET MAN
SPACEX has successfully completed a second 'hop' test for its Starship rocket prototype.
The spacecraft was propelled 500 feet (152 metres) into the air on Thursday before successfully landing again.
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SpaceX tweeted a video of the Starship blasting into the air under a "Raptor" engine before it descended gently back to Earth.
SpaceX, owned by billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk, has said it wants to use Starship to take astronauts to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The CEO retweeted the video and said: "Turns out you can make anything fly haha."
Musk, 49, previously said on Twitter that he hopes to send a million people to Mars in his lifetime using a 1,000-strong fleet of the powerful rockets.
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Starship's production complex is based near the small town of Boca Chica, Texas, and that's where the test took place.
The finished product will stand 290ft (120 metres) tall and boast three of the powerful Raptor engines tested on Thursday.
The prototype craft, dubbed SN6, is effectively a giant fuel tank with a single engine strapped to the bottom.
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The first test flight of the Starship prototype, SN5, had a bit of a struggle getting off the ground.
SN6 had no such problems.
The rocket did successfully hop but landed at a slight angle.
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Flames also appeared around its base but these were quickly extinguished.
The final spacecraft will look a lot more like a traditional rocket, sporting a cone-shaped nose.
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SpaceX is still in the early stages of Starship's development, but the recent test marks a significant milestone for the company.
Engineers have been working on Starship for years.
The machine promises to be the world's most powerful rocket if SpaceX ever gets it off the ground.
According to SpaceX, the contraption will hit speeds of 15,000mph (25,000kph).
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In a series of tweets earlier this year, Musk outlined how his Starlink plans would open up space travel to anyone, regardless of their income.
"Needs to be such that anyone can go if they want, with loans available for those who don't have money," he wrote.
Musk's plan involves building an expansive fleet of Starship vehicles, which comprise a huge rocket topped by a bullet-shaped spacecraft.
Having reusable rockets that can land and take off again should make space travel more cost effective, accessible and sustainable.
What is SpaceX?
Here's what you need to know...
SpaceX was founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk who still has part ownership of the company with 54 per cent equity and 78 per cent voting control.
SpaceX is a private American aerospace manufacturer that is based in California.
It was founded in 2002 with the goal to build affordable rockets and enable the colonisation of Mars.
The manufacturer also aimed to reduce space transportation costs.
Since its creation, the firm has gained fame primarily as a pioneering rocket firm.
In 2008 it launched the first privately-funded liquid-propellant rocket to reach orbit and later became the first private company to launch an object into orbit around the sun.
The company has grown dramatically over its lifespan, from 160 employees in November 2005 to around 7,000 as of November 2019.
As of March 2018, SpaceX had over 100 launches on its manifest representing about $12billion (£9.24billion) in contract revenue.
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