SpaceX’s Starship rocket passes a crucial pressure test minutes after a separate test rocket exploded

SpaceX took a crucial step towards sending its next-generation Starship spacecraft into orbit by passing a high-pressure test of the rocket’s main fuel tanks. It occurred mere minutes after a test rocket for the Starship program exploded mid-flight during a high-altitude test that included multiple successful milestones prior to its explosion.<br><br>The combined successes represent a pair of crucial milestones that move the company’s most ambitious project to date closer to a crewed mission to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations. The Starship spacecraft is expected to be the most powerful operational rocket ever built, standing at 394 feet (120 meters) tall with 17 Raptor engines that will generate 17 million pounds (76 meganewtons) of thrust.