launch pad

He will be welcoming the success after three Starship launches ended in failure this year, and one rocket exploded on the launch pad in June.

Its list of targets, which includes military bases, missile launch pads and factories, is now widening to economic and oil facilities.

But being the best club team in the world “is like a launch pad. It’s just incredible the exposure you’ve got.”

The New Shepard rocket is designed to be fully reusable and its booster returns to the launch pad for vertical landings after each flight, reducing overall costs.

The importance of the Moon to many private firms, said Dr Barber, was to use it as a launch pad for exploring the rest of space.