SpaceX successfully launched the sixth test of Starship, the largest space rocket ever built, on Tuesday, under the watchful eye of the aerospace company's CEO, Elon Musk, and US President-elect Donald Trump.
The rocket took off at around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday (10:00 p.m. in Lisbon) from Starbase, a base located in Boca Chica, near the border with Mexico.
Unlike the fifth launch, this time SpaceX engineers decided not to attempt to recover the ship's booster rocket - known in English as the 'Super Heavy'. Instead, they dropped it into the water over the Gulf of Mexico.
The company's engineers have not yet explained why this launch differed from the previous one, and live footage showed the booster slowly falling into the ocean, causing a cloud of smoke when it hit the water.
On the fifth test mission, carried out on October 13, the 'Super Heavy' was captured on a platform, with the help of a crane called 'chopsticks' to facilitate its descent.
Starship aims to become the first private service to reach the Moon and Mars and establish permanent presences and colonies in these locations, a vision considered feasible by Musk.
If NASA (the US space agency) certifications are achieved, Starship will be part of the Artemis III mission, the first in more than half a century to return a crew to the lunar surface and which is scheduled for 2026.
Several environmental groups have criticized the launches of Starship from Boca Chica, as well as SpaceX's activity in the region, given its proximity to a national park and wildlife refuge where several endangered species live.
In July, several environmental groups called on the federal government to ban SpaceX rocket launches and accused federal agencies of failing to adequately assess the environmental impact of Musk's company. The billionaire, who gave financial and political support to future President Trump's candidacy, has spoken out against government regulators and will lead an initiative, promoted by the Republican, to eliminate federal "red tape."
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