SpaceX has pulled off a successful test flight of its newest generation rocket Starship, reversing a trend of disappointing failures. The world's largest and most powerful rocket blasted off from Texas just after 18:30 local time (23:30 BST) for a nail-biting 60-minute flight. Parts of the engine appeared to explode at one stage, and flaps on the side of the rocket caught fire and swung from side-to-side. US space agency NASA plans to use Starship to send humans to the Moon for its Artemis program in 2027. Great work by the SpaceX team!!, posted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X. This success comes after three Starship launches ended in failure this year, with one rocket exploding on the launch pad in June. The booster rocket's engines performed flawlessly, and after about seven minutes, it successfully separated and fell into the Gulf of Mexico. Starship continued to ascend, reaching a maximum height of nearly 200 km before coasting around the planet. SpaceX designed Starship to be a fully reusable transport system capable of carrying people to the Moon and Mars. The first version had five successful launches, but all attempts of the latest version resulted in explosions, raising questions about Elon Musk's focus on space exploration amidst his political engagements. The successful launch has restored confidence in the program, crucial for upcoming missions.