Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket from Texas on Tuesday, advancing its space exploration goals. However, the mission faltered when the booster failed to land as planned, with US President Donald Trump present at the company's facilities.
The 400-foot (122-metre) rocket, designed to carry astronauts to the Moon and Mars, lifted off at 4 p.m. CT (2200 GMT) from SpaceX’s Boca Chica site. The first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, detached from the Starship second stage at around 40 miles (62 km) altitude, sending the spacecraft into orbit.
Instead of landing as intended on a platform near the launch site, the Super Heavy booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, with live footage showing it exploding into a fireball after hitting the water. SpaceX had hoped to demonstrate a faster and more efficient landing technique, building on a successful landing method from last month. Musk had previously described this catch-landing as ‘faster/harder’ before the launch.
Despite the booster's failure, the rest of the mission proceeded as planned. Trump’s presence at the event underscored his growing alliance with Musk, who is expected to wield significant influence in the coming years. Musk, the world’s richest person, has been a prominent supporter of Trump’s campaign, providing substantial financial backing and appearing at rallies.
On 13 November, Trump appointed Musk as co-leader of a government efficiency initiative aimed at reducing wasteful spending and regulations. This marks another step in the close relationship between the two, with Musk poised to gain further government support for his ventures.
Analysts say that when U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump takes office in January, tension areas are expected in trade, technology and geopolitical conflicts.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi visited Iran's Natanz nuclear plant and its Fordow site.
Wall Street banks are hopeful they can soon sell off $13 billion of debt tied to Elon Musk's social media platform X. They now believe that Musk's close relationship with President-Elect Donald Trump could improve X's prospects, allowing them to sell the debt without large losses.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency. Tasked with cutting bureaucracy and regulations, the informal roles aim to restructure federal agencies, potentially boosting Musk's influence and business interests.
Thousands of people, concerned that the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency could mean a loss of rights for immigrants, marched in New York on Saturday. The President-elect has said he plans to deport immigrants en masse when he takes office in January.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, the court said on Thursday.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel describes her dealings with world leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during her 16 years in power in her new memoir, which comes as her legacy is under fire in light of today's crises.
Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, active again after 800 years, has seen repeated volcanic eruptions since 2021. From lava fountains to massive fissures, eruptions have reshaped the landscape, attracting tourists while prompting evacuations and safety warnings.
An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale struck the Dashtestan district of Bushehr Province in southern Iran at 8:30 a.m. local time today, according to the National Seismology Center of the Institute of Geophysics at Tehran University.
"Come up with the video in its full form," demands the COP29 CEO, Elnur Soltanov, in an exclusive interview with AnewZ. The chief executive has broken his silence on the claims he was using his position to organise potential fossil fuel deals.
The United Nations COP29 climate change conference in Baku seeks $1 trillion annually to help vulnerable nations tackle climate change, as political tensions and Argentina’s withdrawal overshadow talks.
Afghanistan calls on COP29 leaders to prioritize vulnerable communities in climate justice, grateful to Azerbaijan for inclusion.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel describes her dealings with world leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during her 16 years in power in her new memoir, which comes as her legacy is under fire in light of today's crises.
The United States said it had reopened its embassy in Kyiv late on Wednesday after it had shut for the day due to what it called the threat of a significant air attack, a day after Ukraine used American missiles to hit a target inside Russia.
China's defense minister declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense leaders in Laos, a move the Pentagon chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged the Crimea peninsula, seized by Russia in 2014, would have to be restored to Ukrainian sovereignty through diplomacy.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, the court said on Thursday.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel describes her dealings with world leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during her 16 years in power in her new memoir, which comes as her legacy is under fire in light of today's crises.
Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, active again after 800 years, has seen repeated volcanic eruptions since 2021. From lava fountains to massive fissures, eruptions have reshaped the landscape, attracting tourists while prompting evacuations and safety warnings.
An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale struck the Dashtestan district of Bushehr Province in southern Iran at 8:30 a.m. local time today, according to the National Seismology Center of the Institute of Geophysics at Tehran University.
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