(MENAFN- Live Mint) Elon Muk's SpaceX launched massive Starship rocket on 11th test flight on Monday (local time), aiming to travel halfway around the globe while releasing mock satellites as it did last time.

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster made a successful splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, providing further proof of SpaceX's progress in mastering booster descent and recovery.

The previous test flight in August, which came after three in-flight failures and a ground test explosion, seemed to proceed without issues. SpaceX is working rapidly to develop the spacecraft for a scheduled 2027 moon landing for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as competition intensifies in the new space race.

NASA depends on the 403-foot (123-meter) Starship to land astronauts on the moon before the decade ends, as it's the reusable spacecraft designed to transport them from lunar orbit to the surface and back.

For the first time, instead of staying in Launch Control, Musk said he would watch the launch from outside, calling the experience“much more visceral".

SpaceX is upgrading its launch facilities at Cape Canaveral to support Starship launches, alongside the smaller Falcon rockets that currently carry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station for NASA.

(This is a developing story. More to come)

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