HOW MUSK IS FARING AS HE SHOOTS FOR THE MOON

SpaceX founder wants to reach Mars with his Starship rocket, which aced a recent test flight. But he faces earthly challenges.

- By Laurence Darmiento

ERIC GAY Associated Press.

STARSHIP launches from Starbase, Texas, on Aug. 26. SpaceX is seeking to increase the rocket's launch frequency amid some resistance.

While the world's richest man might have breathed a sigh of relief after his Starship rocket completed a stellar launch last month, Elon Musk can't afford to celebrate just yet.

The SpaceX rocket, the largest ever built, is expected to undergo its 11th test launch in October, hoping to replicate its August success, which came after three disappointing flights.

What's more, Musk still faces big hurdles at his rapidly expanding space business what was once the world's most valuable private company, at $400 billion, until it was recently topped by OpenAI.

A lunar-lander version of Starship in development is a key element of NASA's Artemis mission to land Americans back on the moon in a space race with the Chinese. And an even larger version of the 403-foot-tall rocket is seen as a foundation for SpaceX's future commercial launch business.

In pursuit of its goals, SpaceX is seeking to increase the launch frequency of Starship at its Texas test site and of its Falcon 9 reusable rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base but is facing opposition over environmental issues.

Here's a rundown of the challenges and opportunities facing the privately held company, which moved its headquarters to Texas last year but retains design, manufacturing and other operations at its Hawthorne hub, where it employs more than 5,000 workers.

The company did not respond to a message seeking comment.

What did SpaceX achieve with its Starship flight last month?