This piece originally appeared in The Hill.
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, a stainless steel giant stood poised on a dusty plain in South Texas, aimed at the sky. At 9:25 a.m. Eastern Time, it roared to life, a pillar of smoke and flame, and lifted itself into the clear blue.
The SpaceX Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built and the largest flying object ever made, had taken flight.
Starship’s triumph is a resounding affirmation of the unconquerable American spirit of space innovation. From Mercury and Gemini to the legendary Apollo missions that conquered the Moon, the United States has relentlessly pushed the limits of what’s possible in the heavens. This achievement is but the latest chapter in a storied history of American leadership and ingenuity in the final frontier.
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