Why Elon Musk’s Starship rocket is beating Nasa in the space race

The SpaceX chief's powerful new system is set to slash the cost of missions, leaving Nasa in the dust

It was one of the most striking technological events of the year. On 13 October, Starship, the world's largest and most powerful rocket, blasted into space from a launchpad in Texas. Its main booster reached an altitude of more than 65km before it began to hurtle back to Earth at a velocity greater than the speed of sound.

A crash was averted when the rocket - built by Elon Musk's SpaceX company - reignited its engines and slowed down until it hovered tantilisingly over the tower from which it had been fired aloft only seven minutes earlier. Pincer claws grasped the giant launcher and held it firmly in their grip, ready forrefurbishment and relaunch.