OREANDA-NEWS The next, sixth test launch of the American Starship rocket system for manned flights to the Moon and Mars, completed on Wednesday Moscow time, was successful, the developer company SpaceX reported.

The Starship spacecraft with a Super Heavy launch vehicle was launched from SpaceX's Starbase launch pad in Boca Chica in southeastern Texas on Tuesday at 17:00 East Coast time (Wednesday at 01:00 Moscow time).

After one orbit around the Earth, the promising manned Starship spacecraft landed in the Indian Ocean to the north-west of Australia after leaving orbit.

Meanwhile, the Super Heavy carrier made a controlled landing in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes after launch. SpaceX canceled the return of the Super Heavy to the launch complex, where, upon landing, it was supposed to be grabbed by special levers of the tower - the Mechazilla system's robotic arms. This operation was carried out for the first time during the previous test flight.

The reusable rocket system consists of a Starship spacecraft and a Super Heavy carrier. Its height exceeds 120 m. It is higher than any other rocket ever built in the world. The Super Heavy carrier is twice as powerful as the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy rocket created by NASA for manned flights to the Moon.

Previously, the rocket was launched five times, but only three flights - in March, June and October of this year - were successful.