SpaceX’s bid for Starship double catch thwarted, as booster ends up in ocean

SpaceX launched Starship towards orbit on Friday in its boldest test yet: a 22-hour flight that aimed to capture the entire rocket in a move meant to accelerate moon and Mars travel. But Elon Musk’s company had to lower its expectations when the first part of the double catch flopped.

The first-stage booster malfunctioned and instead of returning to its Texas pad several minutes after lift-off, it ended up in the Gulf of Mexico after an automatic abort. Despite the setback, the bullet-shaped...