Gene Blevins/Reuters; SPadre.com

SpaceX’s latest test flight of the Starship rocket lasted for around eight minutes—twice the length of the previous test. Both the booster and the Starship upper stage were lost, but SpaceX achieved many key milestones during the flight test.

This article has been updated to reflect the new Saturday launch date. Ground teams need the extra time to replace a grid fin actuator on the booster.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Xinhua/Getty Images

This article has been updated to reflect the new Saturday launch date. Ground teams need the extra time to replace a grid fin actuator on the Starship booster.

The surface of the Moon is littered with defunct hardware from past missions that are now buried amongst the lunar regolith. A recent crash site left a distinct and curious mark, creating two impact craters of equal size. Scientists examining the collision believe that there may have been an undisclosed object that…

Later this week, SpaceX is poised for a highly anticipated, and undoubtedly exciting, second test flight of its Starship megarocket—provided it receives the final regulatory approvals. Here’s what you need to know about this critically important test.