SpaceX is about to launch the world’s biggest and tallest rocket once again. Elon Musk’s private space company has got its final approval from US federal regulators to launch Starship on Friday morning local central time. The first launch of the rocket initially appeared to go well, with the rocket launching up into the sky and preparing for its journey around Earth. But minutes later the spacecraft began to tumble and soon after that it blew up in a vast explosion. Since then, SpaceX has been working to comply with regulators including aviation authorities as well as those tasked with protecting the environment and wildlife around its base in Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration issued its license Wednesday, noting that SpaceX has met safety, environmental and other requirements to launch again. Elon Musk's rocket company said it was targeting Friday morning. After the self-destruct system blew up the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX made dozens of improvements to the nearly 400-foot (121-meter) rocket and to the launch pad, which ended up with a large crater beneath it. SpaceX has a $3 billion NASA contract to land astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2025, using the spacecraft. A month ago, the FAA completed its safety review of the upcoming Starship launch. It needed more time to wrap up its environmental review. No one was injured in the first attempt, but the pad was heavily damaged as the rocket's 33 main engines ignited at liftoff. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later reported that concrete chunks, steel sheets and other objects were hurled thousands of feet (hundreds of meters) from the pad. It also said a plume of pulverized concrete sent material several miles (up to 10 kilometers) away. Wildlife and environmental groups sued the FAA over what they considered to be the FAA’s failure to fully consider the environmental impacts of the Starship program near Boca Chica Beach. Plans call for the test flight to last 1 /1/2 hours and fall short of a full orbit of Earth. The spacecraft would go eastward, passing over the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans before ditching near Hawaii. Nothing of value will be on board. Additional reporting by agencies Read More The world’s most powerful rocket should launch imminently, Elon Musk says Robot hand with bones, ligaments and tendons 3D printed in world first Users of iPhones can now check bank balance from Wallet app

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There are some weird and wonderful things to be found on Google Street View, but one video got people particularly excited as they thought they found a giant snake skeleton. TikTok account @googlemapsfun posts clips of things they’ve found while exploring the world on Google Maps. In one recent clip which has been viewed over 2 million times, they revealed some of the “creepiest things Google Maps recorded without knowing it”. Firstly in the clip, they revealed in the woods of Russia there’s a giant “Bigfoot” captured on camera. Next, they purport to have discovered a 30m long snake skeleton in France that can be seen from satellites. They suggested the skeleton is of an extinct Titanoboa snake and posted an image of the animal. The voiceover said: “Somewhere in France, we can see something giant you can only see with satellites. “Hidden on Google Earth, users believe this to be a giant snake. It’s about 30 meters long and bigger than any snake caught before.” @googlemapsfun Follow for more!?? #googleearth #googlemaps #googlemapsfun But, unfortunately for excited TikTok viewers who were excited by the discovery, a fact-checking site has revealed that the skeleton is not what it seems. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Snopes revealed that there is a snake skeleton in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, a French city on the west coast near Nantes. But crucially, the skeleton is an art installation made of metal. The sculpture was created by Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping and measures in at 130 metres long. It is known as Le Serpent d’Océan and when the tide is out, it is visible from satellites. A local tourist website said: “Since June 2012 a huge snake, the work of the Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping, emerges on the beach of Mindin. “Its skeleton appears with each tide, resembling an archaeological excavation and its movement makes it look alive. Don’t miss it!” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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