Journalism of Courage
SpaceX on Tuesday launched another Starship rocket, but passed up catching the booster with giant mechanical arms. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Unlike last month’s success, the booster was deliberately splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico for safety reasons, ending the Texas test flight just seven minutes after liftoff. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
Donald Trump flew in for the launch in the latest sign of a deepening bond between the president-elect and Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
While the cause of the booster setback remains unclear, Starship’s upper stage successfully completed its primary mission—a long suborbital flight to test hardware and software improvements from earlier flights.(Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
A video of the landing showed the booster exploding into a ball of fire upon hitting the water. SpaceX plans to retrieve the stage for evaluation, but even if it uncovers issues, it will not view the failure to capture the booster as a setback. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
Musk, the SpaceX founder and chief executive, said he was “honored” to have Trump present at the launch. The Texas senator Ted Cruz also attended. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
Musk, dubbed "First Buddy," and Trump, enjoying growing influence together, made a joint appearance at SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica for Starship’s sixth test flight, signaling more than just mutual support. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)
