SpaceX launches Starship rocket for first time since record-shattering IPO

SpaceX sent its Starship mega-rocket skyward from Brownsville, Texas on July 24, marking the 13th test flight of the program and the first launch since Elon Musk’s rocket company went public six weeks ago. The flight lifted off from Starbase at approximately 6:45 PM ET, with a planned re-entry and landing in the Indian Ocean roughly an hour later. Here’s why this matters beyond the aerospace world: SpaceX’s June 12 IPO raised about $75 billion at $135 per share, valuing the company at roughly $1.77 to $1.8 trillion. That makes it the largest IPO in history. And now crypto platforms are already offering tokenized versions of SpaceX shares, bridging the gap between one of the most watched public listings ever and the digital asset ecosystem. The flight and what almost didn’t happen This launch almost happened a week earlier. A scheduled July 16 attempt was scrubbed due to engine problems, a reminder that even trillion-dollar companies still wrestle with the physics of strapping together the most powerful rocket ever built. The Starship program has been iterating since 2023, collecting data that SpaceX needs to eventually use Starship for satellite deployment, crewed missions, and its...