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SpaceX launch latest: Starship rocket takes off from SpaceX's launch pad - as Trump and Musk watch on

Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched a flight test of its Starship rocket, as NASA pins its hopes of returning to the moon and reaching Mars. Donald Trump has been watching on as the company aborted plans to catch the rocket's booster for reuse.

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SpaceX owner Elon Musk was joined by the soon-to-be president of the US Donald Trump to watch the company's latest flight test
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Goodnight

That's all for our live coverage of SpaceX's sixth Starship rocket launch, the latest test of its design to eventually put boots on the moon for the first time in half a century and ferry crews to Mars.

Today's launch tested the company's ability to catch the booster for re-use for a second time - but it was a no-go.

After a successful lift-off, the booster was forced to reroute to splash down in the waters off the coast of Texas - while Donald Trump watched on.

Our science and technology editor Tom Clarke said Musk would likely be very disappointed with the outcome, given the presence of the president-elect.

"Donald Trump isn't somebody who wants to be associated with things that don't look brilliant or work amazingly."

Meanwhile, the Starship vehicle itself travelled through space to Australia, testing its abilities to reignite engines in space, its heatshields and then its maneuvering capabilities as it descended into the Indian Ocean.

What is Musk's relationship with NASA?

SpaceX's rocket Starship is how NASA intends to land astronauts on the moon again.

The agency has awarded more than $4bn to SpaceX for the first two human moon landings coming up later this decade under the Artemis program. 

But Elon Musk has been at odds with the Federal Aviation Administration for slowing Starship over what he argues is excessive bureaucracy.

SpaceX has also racked up multiple contracts with NASA over the past decade for launching supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station. 

The contracts for crew flights alone from 2020 through 2030 total $5bn.

More recently, in June, NASA awarded an $843m contract to SpaceX to provide the vehicle for deorbiting the International Space Station at the end of its lifetime in early 2031, directing it to a fiery re-entry over the Pacific.

SpaceX also has multiple contracts with the defence department, some classified and said to be worth billions. 

In addition, the Pentagon has purchased internet services in Ukraine from SpaceX's Starlink constellation. 

Starship lands

The Starship rocket has splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

It comes after an hour-long flight in which it successfully ignited one of its engines in space, which would be necessary when returning from orbit. 

There were also thermal protection experiments aboard the spacecraft, with some areas stripped of heat tiles to see whether catch mechanisms might work there on future flights. 

And the spacecraft descended nose-first during the last part of entry, before flipping and splashing down upright.

Starship approaching for landing flip

The Starship vehicle is now over the Indian Ocean, where it will attempt a soft splash down in waters off the northern coast of Australia.

In a few minutes, the ship will descend in a "belly flop" position, before its central engines flip it around, SpaceX workers have explained in a stream on X.

"This is when things will start to get a little interesting," they said.

In pictures: Starship rocket launches

We've had some impressive images of the launch come in over the last few minutes from cameras on board the ship and from photographers on the ground - take a look...

Watch in full: Starship flight six takes off - and fails catch

If you missed the moment SpaceX's Starship launched a little earlier, you can watch it in full here.

Lift-off was a success, but Musk's company missed the mark in its ambitions to catch the rocket's booster for reuse - in front of Donald Trump.

The Starship remains in orbit, with a landing planned for a little later this evening.

Analysis: Musk will be very disappointed by catch failure in front of Trump

Elon Musk will be very disappointed by the failure to catch the booster with Donald Trump watching on, says science and technology editor Tom Clarke.

"I cannot for a second believe there is not a lot of disappointment for Elon Musk, for SpaceX," says Clarke.

"This was their moment to show their prowess in efficiency, reusability, the 'fail-fast efficiency' that Donald Trump really wants his presidency to embody.

"Donald Trump isn't somebody who wants to be associated with things that don't look brilliant or work amazingly."

Instead, Trump wanted to be associated with Musk's glory and that hasn't happened, Clarke said.

"I think that's actually going to be quite significant, despite the cheers.

"This is different, this was a flight test with a political moment tagged onto it and I think it will have been not the outcome that any party wanted to see."

You can watch the booster rerouting to splash down off the coast of Texas instead here...

Starship vehicle coasting in space

While the booster returns to Earth, the Starship vehicle itself is still in space.

It's carrying out further tests in orbit - like reigniting an engine in space conditions - before making a landing a little later this evening.

Booster catch deemed 'no-go'

Operators have decided the criteria have not been met for the tower to catch the booster.

"We are a no-go for tower catch," SpaceX says.

"Unfortunately we will forgo booster catch today."

Instead the booster is splashing down in the water off Texas.

We have lift-off

The Starship rocket is taking off from SpaceX's launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas.

A stream of fire blasts behind the rocket as it leaves Earth.

The booster has detached and should now be falling back towards the tower to be caught.