Starship: SpaceX launches most powerful rocket ever into space on third attempt

Called Starship, it could one day be used to take astronauts to the moon and Mars. ITV News US Correspondent Dan Rivers reports

Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched its Starship - the most powerful rocket ever built - into space on its third attempt.

Although Thursday's launch was successful, the firm said it lost contact with the spacecraft as it descended back to earth for a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

"The ship has been lost. So, no splashdown today," said SpaceX's Dan Huot. "But again, it's incredible to see how much further we got this time around."

Two previous test flights of Starship last year ended in explosions minutes after liftoff.

Mr Musk, who founded SpaceX 22 years ago, had congratulated his team earlier during the flight, saying: "SpaceX has come a long way."

Starship, which stands at 397ft tall, took off from SpaceX's base in southeast Texas on Thursday morning.

No crew or satellites were on board for the mission.

NASA has awarded SpaceX a $3 billion (£2.4 billion) contract to land astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2025, using the spacecraft.

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