A rocket is blasting off in the middle of the picture with its launch tower just to its left. It is silhouetted against a pale blue sky with a few wispy clouds scattered across it. On either side of the rocket, dark grey black clouds are billowing up. There is a white trail immediately below the rocket and the clouds on the ground are glowing orange in some places. Image source, Reuters
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Starship is the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever flown

ByRebecca Morelle , Science Editor and Alison Francis , Senior science journalist
  • Published2 hours ago

SpaceX will attempt to catch both parts of its huge Starship rocket after it launches on its next test flight on Friday.

Elon Musk's company will use the mechanical arms - nicknamed chopsticks - on its launch tower to grab the rocket parts mid-air as they return to Earth.

If successful, this will be the first full recovery of a rocket that's been to space, paving the way for making Starship reusable so it can fly repeatedly.