Spacex launches Elon Musk's Starship with hopes of Moon landing as stunning video shows megarocket return

SpaceX has launched its fifth test flight today as Elon Musk continues his efforts in building the most powerful operational rocket in history.

The test flight took place at about 1.35pm (Sunday, October 13 ), and it was the first time SpaceX has used a Super Heavy booster in their launch plan. The said booster sits at the bottom of the two-stage vehicle as it returns to the launchpad in Texas, US. Landing the booster safely would be a monumental step for SpaceX and would mean it could be reused in future launche s, greatly cutting the cost of future spaceflight.

It was unclear yesterday whether the launch would go ahead but SpaceX team members confirmed it would go ahead, despite waiting for approval from US authorities. The space-faring firm claim the US government is "threatening" the hold the country has in being leaders of space exploration.

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This flight marks the fifth in just 18 months for SpaceX, who are still reeling from the disastrous first two launches which left their rockets blown apart not long before its missions. SpaceX has since argued this is all part of their development plan and that they launch early in expectation of failure to harvest data from their developments. This, they believe, gives them an edge over their rivals.

This time SpaceX is hoping to launch the 121m-tall (397ft), but the major change to this launch is the crew want their ship to land back at the launchpad, rather than in the Indian Ocean where previous flights have ended their mission. With the Super Heavy hopefully returning to the launchpad, ground teams will then use a pair of giant mechanical "chopsticks" to guide it safely back to the ground.

Catching the Super Heavy rather than letting it drop onto the ground is a huge step forward for the team. The initial stages of the ascent will be the same as the previous four outings, with the Ship and booster separating two and three-quarter miles after launch. At the launch pad stands the world's tallest rocket tower with two giant robot arms attached to it. This 146m-high structure and the chopsticks attached to it are planned to catch the rocket booster before re-stacking it on the orbital launch mount for its next flight.

If the Flight Director does not think it is possible then a call will be made before the boostback burn - when the rocket turns around - for the booster to land in the Indian Ocean. This will be less than three minutes into the flight.