News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
How Anthropic's ongoing discussions with the Vatican about ethics and AI led to Christopher Olah being invited to Pope Leo's unveiling of an encyclical on AI
Ravid Shwartz Ziv / @ziv_ravid: Anthropic isn't releasing Mythos. The Official reason is that it's too dangerous and could be used to exploit zero-days at scale. Honest poll: how many of you think that if Anthropic had the compute to serve Mythos to everyone, they would still be holding it back? Quite the An update on Project Glasswing, as well as some recent evaluation results on Mythos Preview. One of the capabilities my team has been interested in since our initial testing is exploitation. This is an area where we believe Mythos Preview has been a real leap over previous models, and the results seem to corroborate that! Read more at our Red blog:
Anthropic's Jack Clark on the labor crisis politicians are unprepared for - ExBulletin
Jack Clark founded Anthropic, one of the world's most powerful AI companies, and has spent years arguing that the technology he's helping build could be the most disruptive force in human history, bigger and happening much faster than the Industrial Revolution. In this installment of a Ways to Change the World episode, Krishnan talks to Guru-Murthy about what AI is really doing to the labor market, why Anthropic is publishing its economic data as an early warning system for unemployment, and what governments should do before a crisis forces their hand. Clark discusses which jobs are most at risk, why he thinks nurses and teachers may end up better paid, and whether AI companies should be taxed to fund the social safety nets their technologies can dismantle. He also reflects on the lessons of COVID, the case of taxing computing power, and why, despite everything, he remains optimistic. This is part of an extended interview with Jack on how Krishnan changed the world - watch it in full here: https://youtu.be/7JYb0JGz7rg?si=Qxo4VZlGeSQBrPgv -- -- - Get more news on our website - https://www.channel4.com/news/ Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://channel4news.substack.com/subscribe Follow us on: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@c4news Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/channel4news/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Channel4News Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/ What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
AFFILIATE OF PHOENIX INVESTORS SELLS MEMPHIS X-AI DATA CENTER TO SUBSIDIARY OF SPACEX FOR $185 MILLION
The Colossus I Data Center site totals 217 Acres MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- An affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix") announced the sale of the 217 acres and 785,000-square-foot data center located at 3231 Paul R Lowry Road in Memphis, Tennessee to a subsidiary of SpaceX for $185 Million. The building is commonly referred to as Colossus I, the first data center of X-AI. X-AI is a subsidiary of SpaceX. About Phoenix Investors Phoenix Investors is the leading expert in the acquisition, renovation, and release of former manufacturing facilities in the United States. In addition to being one of the country's largest owners of industrial real estate, Phoenix has expanded its platform to include the acquisition and repositioning of data center assets, supporting the growing demand for digital infrastructure. The revitalization of facilities throughout the continental United States positively transforms communities and restarts the economic engine in the communities we serve. Phoenix's affiliate companies hold equity interests in a portfolio of industrial properties totaling approximately 86 million square feet and spanning 27 states, delivering corporations with a cost-effective national footprint to dynamically supply creative solutions to meet their leasing needs. For more information, please visit https://phoenixinvestors.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Anthony Crivello Phoenix Investors, a limited liability company (414) 982-4810, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/affiliate-of-phoenix-investors-sells-memphis-x-ai-data-center-to-subsidiary-of-spacex-for-185-million-302780691.html
SpaceX Starship completes mostly successful test flight
The Super Heavy booster separated as planned but failed to complete its boost-back burn before falling uncontrolled into the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX had not planned to recover the booster. Musk praised the mission on X, calling the flight "epic." "You scored a goal for humanity," he said. The launch came a day after an aborted attempt caused by a hydraulic issue involving the launch tower arm. Musk said the problem was fixed overnight. Friday's mission was Starship's 12th test flight and the first in seven months. The upgraded vehicle stands more than 407 feet (124 meters) tall when fully stacked. Starship is central to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon before the end of the decade. SpaceX is developing a lunar landing version of the spacecraft under contract with NASA, while rival Blue Origin is pursuing a competing system. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, speaking before launch, said: "We're looking forward to seeing this fly, because hopefully at some point in the not-too-distant future we're going to join up in Earth orbit." After the flight, Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on X for "a hell of a V3 Starship launch." "One step closer to the Moon...one step closer to Mars," he said.
Affiliate Of Phoenix Investors Sells Memphis X-Ai Data Center To Subsidiary Of Spacex For $185 Million
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- An affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix") announced the sale of the 217 acres and 785,000-square-foot data center located at 3231 Paul R Lowry Road in Memphis, Tennessee to a subsidiary of SpaceX for $185 Million. The building is commonly referred to as Colossus I, the first data center of X-AI. X-AI is a subsidiary of SpaceX. About Phoenix Investors Phoenix Investors is the leading expert in the acquisition, renovation, and release of former manufacturing facilities in the United States. In addition to being one of the country's largest owners of industrial real estate, Phoenix has expanded its platform to include the acquisition and repositioning of data center assets, supporting the growing demand for digital infrastructure. The revitalization of facilities throughout the continental United States positively transforms communities and restarts the economic engine in the communities we serve. Phoenix's affiliate companies hold equity interests in a portfolio of industrial properties totaling approximately 86 million square feet and spanning 27 states, delivering corporations with a cost-effective national footprint to dynamically supply creative solutions to meet their leasing needs.
Affiliate Of Phoenix Investors Sells Memphis X-Ai Data Center To Subsidiary Of Spacex For $185 Million
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- An affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix") announced the sale of the 217 acres and 785,000-square-foot data center located at 3231 Paul R Lowry Road in Memphis, Tennessee to a subsidiary of SpaceX for $185 Million. The building is commonly referred to as Colossus I, the first data center of X-AI. X-AI is a subsidiary of SpaceX. About Phoenix Investors Phoenix Investors is the leading expert in the acquisition, renovation, and release of former manufacturing facilities in the United States. In addition to being one of the country's largest owners of industrial real estate, Phoenix has expanded its platform to include the acquisition and repositioning of data center assets, supporting the growing demand for digital infrastructure. The revitalization of facilities throughout the continental United States positively transforms communities and restarts the economic engine in the communities we serve. Phoenix's affiliate companies hold equity interests in a portfolio of industrial properties totaling approximately 86 million square feet and spanning 27 states, delivering corporations with a cost-effective national footprint to dynamically supply creative solutions to meet their leasing needs.
SpaceX Launches Starship V3 in Texas Debut Test Flight with Engine Issues
The heat shield remains a major part of Starship development as SpaceX wants the spacecraft to fly often with limited repair work after landing. However, controllers skipped a planned in-space engine relight test after the engine loss during ascent. The company kept the pre-landing burn plan in place for the final phase. The launch drew added attention since SpaceX is moving closer to a , according to the report. The company's Starship program supports its Starlink expansion, satellite launches and NASA moon work. Investors are also watching whether the vehicle can move toward regular commercial missions. Musk called the flight an "epic first Starship V3 launch & landing" in a post on X. Still, the test also carried clear limits. One booster engine shut down during liftoff, the booster missed its full return burn, and the upper stage lost one engine before reaching its planned path. Starship plays a central role in . SpaceX won a contract in 2021 to develop the lunar landing system for the agency. The company must still prove in-space refueling, reliable engine restarts and repeatable heat shield performance before crewed lunar missions can use the vehicle. The V3 test gave SpaceX new flight data on its upgraded hardware.It also highlighted the work still needed before Starship can support regular Starlink launches, NASA missions, and longer trips beyond Earth orbit.
SpaceX files for IPO, aims for $1T valuation with NASDAQ listing
SpaceX IPO Predictions market shows a 93.8% YES probability for an IPO by June 30, 2026, a slight decline from 95% a day earlier. The SpaceX IPO Closing Market Cap Above Thresholds market indicates a 98.5% YES likelihood for the market cap exceeding $1 trillion. ## Key Takeaways - The filing of SpaceX's IPO appears to be consistent with strong market confidence, as reflected in the high YES probabilities across related markets. - Pricing suggests that market participants expect SpaceX's valuation to exceed $1 trillion, indicating significant investor interest. - The news appears to have had a considerable impact, with predicted probabilities for the IPO date and valuation remaining high. ## Article Body SpaceX has filed for an initial public offering (IPO), aiming for a listing with a valuation above $1 trillion, CNBC reports. Alongside SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic are also planning to go public, projecting valuations that could surpass $1 trillion on their first days of public listing. The news has stirred excitement in markets, anticipating these tech giants' debut on public exchanges. SpaceX's IPO will be underwritten by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, with plans to list on the Nasdaq. The move represents a significant milestone for SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, known for its innovations in space technology and ambitious projects like Mars colonization. ## Market Interpretation The announcement of SpaceX's IPO filing is highly supportive of a YES outcome for the June 30, 2026 IPO market, with an impact classified as High. The filing confirms the IPO will occur by this date, aligning with market expectations and driving strong confidence in surpassing a $1 trillion valuation. This high-impact news supports the substantial probabilities currently observed in markets related to SpaceX's IPO timeline and valuation targets. ## What to Watch Attention will be on upcoming announcements from SpaceX regarding its IPO details and investor interest. Watch for any updates from the SEC on the approval process and any potential roadshow dates. Additionally, Elon Musk's statements and engagement with potential investors could influence market sentiment. Further developments in SpaceX's technology and partnerships may also affect valuation expectations as the IPO approaches.
Anthropic Project Glasswing Targets Safer AI Agents Before They Go Rogue
Following an announcement that the company had inked a massive SpaceX compute deal, Anthropic has unveiled Project Glasswing, a collaborative cybersecurity initiative that deploys its most capable AI to harden critical software before bad actors can weaponize the same technology against it. Powered by the still-unreleased to the public Claude Mythos Preview model, the project has already surfaced more than 10,000 high, and critical-severity zero-day vulnerabilities in just its first month, a number that would presumably take traditional security teams years to uncover. The initiative involves approximately 50 major tech industry partners, including Microsoft, Google, and Cloudflare. The company emphasizes the stakes are quite real, adding AI coding capabilities have now evolved to a point where they can match or outperform all but the most elite human penetration testers at hunting for software flaws. Project Glasswing is Anthropic's play to ensure those capabilities land in defenders' hands first, and not potential threat actors. AI-accelerated and enhanced automated security sweeps have flipped the traditional cybersecurity bottleneck. Finding vulnerabilities used to be the hard part. Now it is triaging and deploying fixes fast enough. Real-world results from Glasswing's partners make that shift feel more real. Cloudflare turned Mythos Preview loose on its critical systems and uncovered roughly 2,000 bugs, 400 of them high or critical severity, with a false-positive rate that beat human penetration testers. Mozilla used the model to audit Firefox 150 and patched 271 vulnerabilities, more than ten times what a comparable scan of Firefox 148 found using Claude Opus 4. As we covered recently, Mozilla has publicly argued that AI could eventually end the era of zero-day vulnerabilities, and results like these seem to backup that claim. In the open-source arena, Anthropic directed Mythos Preview to scan over 1,000 widely used projects and flagged 6,202 high, or critical-severity vulnerabilities. Independent security firms vetted a large subset and confirmed a 90.6% true-positive rate. Among the finds was a critical flaw in the wolfSSL cryptography library (CVE-2026-5194), which is used by billions of devices worldwide, that would have let attackers forge security certificates and host convincing fake banking or email sites invisible to end users. It has since been patched. This is not the first time AI has proven its worth as a vulnerability hunter. In late 2024, Google's Big Sleep agent found its first real-world zero-day back, and more recently Google confirmed the first AI-developed zero-day exploit used by actual threat actors in the wild. Anthropic is explicitly withholding Claude Mythos Preview because the same capabilities that make it a defensive powerhouse also make it a dangerous offensive tool. During closed evaluations, the UK's AI Security Institute confirmed it became the first model to fully solve both of their complex, multi-step cyberattack simulations end to end. In the wrong hands, that level of autonomous capability could dramatically disrupt banking networks, healthcare systems, or power grids. With six actively exploited zero-days patched in a single Microsoft Patch Tuesday earlier this year, the threat environment speaks for itself. In the meantime, Anthropic has launched Claude Security, a public beta for Enterprise customers using Claude Opus 4.7 to scan codebases and generate proposed patches, with 2,100 vulnerabilities patched in its first three weeks. The company has also partnered with the Open Source Security Foundation's Alpha-Omega project to help overwhelmed maintainers handle the surge in AI-generated bug disclosures. The patch bottleneck could be the real story here. Some open-source developers have reportedly asked Anthropic to slow its disclosure rate because they simply cannot keep up. Ideally, defenders need to patch vulnerabilities faster than they can be exploited, which won't always be possible. Find the full disclosure from Anthropic on its website.
Elon Musk Just Linked SpaceX, xAI, Tesla, and Nvidia Into 1 Trade. Here's How to Position Your Portfolio.
Elon Musk's businesses have always thrived on an audacious convergence of vision, data, talent, and capital. The upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX has helped crystallize a lucrative opportunity most investors are overlooking: a vertically integrated technology stack that spans silicon, proprietary software, training data, orbital infrastructure, and physical artificial intelligence (AI). The result is not merely a portfolio of independent companies but rather a compounding basket featuring an AI-native industrial complex. Investors who grasp the integrations Musk is forming stand to benefit handsomely. Let's unpack how investors can best position their portfolios to benefit from exposure to Musk's empire. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue " Image source: Nvidia. In order to digest the broader Musk AI opportunity, investors must first understand the way each aspect of the ecosystem supports the others. Nvidia's (NASDAQ: NVDA) graphics processing unit (GPU) architectures provide the computing power foundation for training frontier models at xAI, as well as Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) autonomous driving and Optimus robotics programs. In turn, Tesla generates large volumes of video and sensor data from its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs). This data is both unique and valuable because it captures the unstructured nature of the physical world. It's being used to train models whose inference is deployed back into Tesla's EVs and robots, and will potentially be used in edge networks deployed by SpaceX. SpaceX adds value at the infrastructure layer. The company's satellite constellation, Starlink, delivers low-latency connectivity to remote areas. In theory, Starlink's distribution network could turn every Tesla or Optimus unit into another node within its broader connectivity mesh. Looking ahead, Musk's desire to develop orbital data centers could position SpaceX as a major host for massive training runs. The company's rockets can provide the launch cadence to deploy and maintain next-generation data center infrastructure at scale. The result here is a strategically built closed loop: Nvidia silicon trains xAI models on Tesla data, which subsequently improves Tesla products, all of which are stitched together and powered through SpaceX's orbital backbone. SpaceX will reportedly go public on the Nasdaq on June 12. Until then, the two most direct proxies for gaining exposure to Musk's ecosystem are Tesla and Nvidia. Tesla is the clearest expression of Musk's robotics and autonomy vision. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, Optimus humanoid program, and energy storage business are all positioned to benefit from accelerated AI capabilities developed elsewhere in the broader Musk complex. Moreover, Tesla's $2 billion stake in xAI further aligns incentives because any expansion in SpaceX's valuation post-IPO will indirectly accrue to Tesla shareholders. Remember, SpaceX and xAI merged back in February in a transaction that gave the resulting company a value of $1.25 trillion. Meanwhile, Nvidia's data center and networking division benefits from sustained chip demand. Musk has confirmed that both Tesla and SpaceX will continue ordering Nvidia chips at scale despite his ambitions to have his companies design custom silicon. Nvidia's competitive moat --featuring its CUDA software platform, manufacturing partnerships, and a massive installed base -- makes the semiconductor giant a default supplier at each level of the value chain for Musk's AI flywheel. Image source: The Motley Fool. The upcoming SpaceX IPO represents both an opportunity and an inflection point for megacap AI stocks. Liquidity will most likely improve significantly once lock-up agreements expire, allowing insiders and employees to sell shares. Astute portfolio managers should keep some powder dry for this event. Investors who treat the quartet of Nvidia, Tesla, xAI, and SpaceX as a unified opportunity stand to participate in what could become the defining AI industrial platform of the coming decades. At the end of the day, I think the best positioning would be to combine each of Musk's AI-themed assets alongside other proven AI infrastructure and energy plays. Employing diversification beyond pure speculation on the upside of Musk's singular complex is essential for investors seeking to generate durable wealth over a long-term horizon. Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Nvidia wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $477,813!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,320,088!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 986% -- a market-crushing outperformance compared to 208% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. Adam Spatacco has positions in Nvidia and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Elon Musk Just Linked SpaceX, xAI, Tesla, and Nvidia Into 1 Trade. Here's How to Position Your Portfolio. | The Motley Fool
Elon Musk's businesses have always thrived on an audacious convergence of vision, data, talent, and capital. The upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX has helped crystallize a lucrative opportunity most investors are overlooking: a vertically integrated technology stack that spans silicon, proprietary software, training data, orbital infrastructure, and physical artificial intelligence (AI). The result is not merely a portfolio of independent companies but rather a compounding basket featuring an AI-native industrial complex. Investors who grasp the integrations Musk is forming stand to benefit handsomely. Let's unpack how investors can best position their portfolios to benefit from exposure to Musk's empire. In order to digest the broader Musk AI opportunity, investors must first understand the way each aspect of the ecosystem supports the others. Nvidia's (NVDA 1.86%) graphics processing unit (GPU) architectures provide the computing power foundation for training frontier models at xAI, as well as Tesla's (TSLA +1.94%) autonomous driving and Optimus robotics programs. In turn, Tesla generates large volumes of video and sensor data from its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs). This data is both unique and valuable because it captures the unstructured nature of the physical world. It's being used to train models whose inference is deployed back into Tesla's EVs and robots, and will potentially be used in edge networks deployed by SpaceX. SpaceX adds value at the infrastructure layer. The company's satellite constellation, Starlink, delivers low-latency connectivity to remote areas. In theory, Starlink's distribution network could turn every Tesla or Optimus unit into another node within its broader connectivity mesh. Looking ahead, Musk's desire to develop orbital data centers could position SpaceX as a major host for massive training runs. The company's rockets can provide the launch cadence to deploy and maintain next-generation data center infrastructure at scale. The result here is a strategically built closed loop: Nvidia silicon trains xAI models on Tesla data, which subsequently improves Tesla products, all of which are stitched together and powered through SpaceX's orbital backbone. SpaceX will reportedly go public on the Nasdaq on June 12. Until then, the two most direct proxies for gaining exposure to Musk's ecosystem are Tesla and Nvidia. Tesla is the clearest expression of Musk's robotics and autonomy vision. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, Optimus humanoid program, and energy storage business are all positioned to benefit from accelerated AI capabilities developed elsewhere in the broader Musk complex. Moreover, Tesla's $2 billion stake in xAI further aligns incentives because any expansion in SpaceX's valuation post-IPO will indirectly accrue to Tesla shareholders. Remember, SpaceX and xAI merged back in February in a transaction that gave the resulting company a value of $1.25 trillion. Meanwhile, Nvidia's data center and networking division benefits from sustained chip demand. Musk has confirmed that both Tesla and SpaceX will continue ordering Nvidia chips at scale despite his ambitions to have his companies design custom silicon. Nvidia's competitive moat --featuring its CUDA software platform, manufacturing partnerships, and a massive installed base -- makes the semiconductor giant a default supplier at each level of the value chain for Musk's AI flywheel. The upcoming SpaceX IPO represents both an opportunity and an inflection point for megacap AI stocks. Liquidity will most likely improve significantly once lock-up agreements expire, allowing insiders and employees to sell shares. Astute portfolio managers should keep some powder dry for this event. Investors who treat the quartet of Nvidia, Tesla, xAI, and SpaceX as a unified opportunity stand to participate in what could become the defining AI industrial platform of the coming decades. At the end of the day, I think the best positioning would be to combine each of Musk's AI-themed assets alongside other proven AI infrastructure and energy plays. Employing diversification beyond pure speculation on the upside of Musk's singular complex is essential for investors seeking to generate durable wealth over a long-term horizon.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet (124 meters), the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet (more than 1 meter) and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet (124 meters), the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet (more than 1 meter) and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
SpaceX launches Starship's 12th flight test
LOS ANGELES, May 22 (Xinhua) -- SpaceX launched the 12th flight test of its giant Starship rocket on Friday. Starship lifted off from the company's Starbase facility in the U.S. state of Texas. The mission marks the debut flight of the next-generation Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, powered by an upgraded version of the Raptor engine and launched from a newly designed pad at Starbase. ■
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet (124 meters), the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet (more than 1 meter) and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
The sun rises behind SpaceX's mega rocket Starship as it is prepared for a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Friday, May 22, 2026. SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world.
SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he's taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It's the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA's Artemis program. The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX's third-generation Starship -- a souped-up version dubbed V3 -- soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt. SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames. At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything -- more cameras and more navigation and computer power -- as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos. NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars -- and also Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin -- to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The two companies are scrambling to be first. While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year. NASA is following April's successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both. A moon landing by two astronauts -- Artemis IV -- could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA's first lunar landing with a crew since 1972's Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship. The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain. This week, another wealthy space tourist -- Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang -- announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.
