SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket, but aborts attempt to catch booster with mechanical arms

AP Aerospace Writer

SpaceX has launched another Starship rocket, but passed up catching it with giant mechanical arms. The world’s biggest and most powerful rocket blasted off from Texas on Tuesday. Minutes after liftoff, mission managers called off catching the first-stage booster because of lost communication with the launch tower computer. The empty spacecraft launched on top soared across the Gulf of Mexico on a near loop around the world similar to October’s hourlong test flight. Like before, it’s made a controlled entry in the Indian Ocean after skimming space.