SpaceX tries to launch a bigger version of Starship but hits a series of last-minute problems

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- SpaceX got within a half-minute of launching its newest and biggest Starship on a test flight Thursday evening before a cascade of problems halted the countdown.

The 407-foot (124-meter) rocket was poised to begin a space-skimming journey from Texas extending halfway around the world. But issues cropped up with the brand-new pad at Starbase near the Mexican border, and the company ran out of time.