Science & technology | Starship sticks the landing

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has achieved something extraordinary

If SpaceX can land and reuse the most powerful rocket ever made what can’t it do?

Photograph: AP

THE LAUNCH was remarkable: a booster rocket with twice the power of the Apollo programme’s Saturn V lancing into the early-morning sky on a tight, bright column of blue-tinged flame. But that wonder has been seen four times before. It was the landing of the booster stage of SpaceX’s fifth Starship test flight which was truly extraordinary.

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