(CNN) — SpaceX’s luck appears to be turning, as the company notched a second straight successful test flight of the Starship launch system — the most powerful rocket ever constructed — on Monday evening.
The test mission, which kicked off around 7:23 p.m. ET at SpaceX’s facilities in South Texas, marked the final showing for Starship Version 2, or V2, which SpaceX will now retire in favor of another, slightly larger and more powerful prototype called Version 3.
The V2 test campaign began in January and was marked by a string of explosive, in-flight failures — with one vehicle exploding during a ground test and three others erupting into flames mid-flight — followed by a surprising redemption arc.
Despite recent successes, however, SpaceX has a long way to go before Starship is ready