Test flight of SpaceX’s Starship aborted at last second

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first high-altitude test flight of SpaceX’s futuristic Starship was aborted at the last second. SpaceX was aiming Tuesday for an altitude of eight miles for the rocketship that company chief Elon Musk is designing to carry people to Mars. But an automatic engine abort occurred with just 1.3 seconds remaining in the countdown. There’s no word on when SpaceX might try again from southeast Texas. SpaceX already has conducted five Starship test flights but with earlier, simpler models. The latest stainless steel version is the first to feature a nose cone, body flaps and three Raptor engines.