The most formidable and powerful rocket ever constructed has taken to the skies, marking a pivotal moment for SpaceX as the company tests its capabilities before aiming to return humans to the moon.

Dubbed Starship Flight 12, this ambitious launch was executed from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas on Friday night, demonstrating the company’s cutting-edge aerospace technology.

Although the launch achieved space entry, it wasn’t entirely flawless. The Starship encountered an issue as it lost one of its six advanced ‘Raptor’ engines, necessitating the remaining engines to operate longer than planned to maintain the mission’s trajectory.

This fully reusable spacecraft, composed of two parts and intended for both crewed and cargo missions, operates without a human crew and is navigated remotely by SpaceX’s expert team.

The mission, Flight 12, serves as a trial for Starship’s Version 3, showcasing several enhancements over previous iterations. These include more efficient Raptor 3 engines, improved fuel systems, and enhanced thermal protection, all informed by past test flight experiences.

Musk and his team are eyeing this version of Starship as the one NASA astronauts will use as their lunar lander for the Artemis program. It will carry astronauts to the moon’s surface as soon as 2028 when Artemis IV is scheduled to take off.

SpaceX’s long-term dream for Starship V3 is to send both humans and cargo to Mars to build the first self-sustaining city on the Red Planet. Starship was designed to be refueled in orbit so it can make the long journey to Mars.

Friday’s test flight is a suborbital mission, meaning it will not go into full orbit, and was said by SpaceX to be the first pivotal step in testing how the new Starship’s hardware behaves under real flight conditions.

This is a breaking story. More details to follow. 

SpaceX Starship 12, the company’s third version of the craft, launched successfully at 6.30pm ET on May 22

SpaceX Starship 12, the company’s third version of the craft, launched successfully at 6.30pm ET on May 22

SpaceX Starship 12, the company’s third version of the craft, launched successfully at 6.30pm ET on May 22

SpaceX Starship 12, the company’s third version of the craft, launched successfully at 6.30pm ET on May 22

Starship 12 featured two key parts, the ‘Super Heavy,’ the bottom booster stage with 33 powerful Raptor engines, and the Starship, the upper part sitting on top of the booster that has its own engines. The spacecraft is what would carry astronauts to space.

Overall, the rocket stands as tall as a 50-story building.

The test flight had several key goals, starting with a successful liftoff from Starbase, Texas at 6.30pm ET.

From there the Super Heavy booster separated after a few minutes of flight, conducted a ‘boostback’ burn to slow itself down and then performed a landing burn to splash down gently in the Gulf of America.

Unlike previous SpaceX missions, this rocket booster did not try to land back at the launch site as the company’s other reusable rockets have.

Meanwhile, the upper Starship stage continued into space, where it successfully deployed 22 dummy Starlink satellites 20 minutes into the flight.

Cameras inside the craft captured the moment as each communications panel slid out of the cargo hatch and was sent off into orbit as the SpaceX crew back on Earth cheered and chanted ‘USA’ from the company’s control center in Texas.

SpaceX did note during the flight that a scheduled restart of one of the craft’s engines while in space was cancelled due to the loss of one of Starship’s six engines during launch.

Starship 12 successfully reached space despite the loss of one of its six engines on May 22

The SpaceX spacecraft successfully launched 22 fake Starlink satellites (Pictured) during its tests in space

Flight 12 will then re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, testing its heat shields, in which one panel was deliberately removed to see how the craft would hold up under such stress.

The whole flight is scheduled to take roughly one hour.

Starship 12 was initially set to launch on Thursday, but the mission was postponed after several attempts to fix a mechanical issue just 40 seconds from takeoff.

Musk revealed after the failed attempt that a hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract from the craft.

A blaze followed by an explosion at a Staten Island shipyard in New York City has left at least 16 individuals injured, with three sustaining serious injuries, according to the New York Fire Department.

The incident unfolded around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, when a report came in about two workers trapped in a confined space at the dock. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a fire raging in the basement of a large metal structure, stated Joanne Mariano from the fire department’s press office.

Approximately 50 minutes into battling the blaze, a significant explosion rocked the site, Mariano added.

By 5 p.m., emergency responders had identified 16 injured individuals, including two firefighters and one civilian with serious injuries. Additionally, two more firefighters had moderate injuries, while the remaining suffered minor injuries. Among those with minor injuries were two EMS workers.

Efforts were ongoing to finalize the total number of affected individuals, Mariano noted.

There were more than 200 firefighters and emergency medical personnel from 68 units at the site Friday evening, Mariano said. The cause of the fire and explosion is still under investigation.

Richard Oviogor, who was in the area, told WABC-TV that he heard two explosions and what seemed like a “big shock wave.”

The area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard used to be owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company, which built ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Fire authorities urgently called for evacuations on Friday in a Southern California community due to the looming threat posed by a massive chemical tank on the verge of spilling or exploding.

At an emergency press briefing, Orange County Fire Authority Interim Chief TJ McGovern detailed the ongoing efforts at GKN Aerospace. This facility, known for constructing engine structures and other components for both commercial and military aircraft, became the focus of intense activity after a large tank was found releasing toxic fumes.

The situation escalated on Thursday night when officials identified a leak of methyl methacrylate (MMA), a highly volatile and flammable plastic epoxy used in the aerospace sector. The chemical was escaping from a 34,000-gallon storage tank, prompting firefighters to implement critical cooling measures, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles.

20 CHEESE FACTORY WORKERS INJURED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT NEW MEXICO FACTORY RELEASES TOXIC GAS: POLICE

Authorities were seen evacuating nearby areas in California as emergency crews worked diligently at the scene. (KTTV)

While officials initially believed the situation was under control, allowing residents to return home, the crisis severely escalated by Friday morning.

“We have determined that the tank that is in the biggest crisis is in fact unable to be secured and mitigated,” said Incident Commander and Orange County Fire Division Chief Craig Covey.

Officials are now bracing for one of two catastrophic outcomes: The tank could fail, spilling between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of “very bad chemicals” into the surrounding parking lot and area, or the tank could go into “thermal runaway” and explode, triggering a chain reaction with neighboring tanks containing fuel and other hazardous chemicals, according to Covey.

TWO INJURED AFTER EXPLOSION RIPS THROUGH CHEMICAL PLANT, SPARKING HAZMAT RESPONSE, SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER

Multiple chemical tanks appeared to be involved in the Orange County, California, incident. (KTTV)

“We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options: It fails, or it blows up,” Covey said.

He noted that while there is currently no active gas leak or toxic plume, residents must heed the warnings immediately out of an abundance of caution.

Expected timelines for the potential leak or explosion were not provided.

WORKERS KILLED AND MANY TREATED AFTER REFINERY CHEMICAL RELEASE AS INVESTIGATORS PROBE CAUSE

Fire officials said a large chemical tank was at risk of spilling or exploding, possibly igniting nearby chemical tanks. (KTTV)

Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said an expanded evacuation zone has been implemented to protect the public from the imminent threat.

“Community safety is our highest priority, and we want to see this come to a successful resolution, but we need your help,” El-Farra said.

Two emergency evacuation centers have been set up for displaced families in Garden Grove and Cypress.

Local law enforcement and mutual aid partners remain at the scene to monitor the situation.

No injuries or fatalities have been confirmed, as of 1 p.m. local time.

Fire officials held an emergency news conference on Friday, warning of an imminent chemical spill or explosion in Orange County, Calif. (@OCFireAuthority via X)

Rep. Derek Tran, D-Calif., said he is closely monitoring the toxic leak and his office is in close contact with local police, fire and emergency response officials.

“I am in contact with federal disaster relief officials, including FEMA and the EPA, to urge them to provide any available federal assistance for Garden Grove,” Tran wrote in a statement. “I encourage everyone in the affected area to follow guidance from local authorities and avoid the impacted zones until further guidance is issued.”

FEMA and the EPA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

On Friday, a former escort was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of his estranged husband, a wealthy Manhattan art dealer. The victim was brutally stabbed nearly 24 times in a shocking act of violence.

A federal jury, after just two hours of deliberation, convicted Daniel Sikkema of plotting to murder his husband, 77-year-old Brent Sikkema. Daniel allegedly paid thousands to a Cuban national who executed the gruesome assassination at Brent’s vacation home in Brazil, in January 2024.

“With this verdict, Brent Sikkema’s tragic death has found a semblance of justice. A unanimous jury has now held Daniel Sikkema accountable for this senseless and calculated murder,” stated Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Prosecutors presented a case where Daniel, in his mid-50s and financially desperate, devised this chilling murder-for-hire plan amid a contentious divorce and custody battle over their young son.

The jury was told how Daniel hired Alejandro Triana Prevez, a former security guard for the couple. Daniel discreetly transferred about $9,000 to Prevez, who then broke into Brent’s Rio de Janeiro bedroom and inflicted 18 stab wounds to his face, chest, and throat.

Defense attorney Richard Levitt didn’t dispute that Prevez killed the victim, but insisted his client’s payments to the alleged hitman were repaying a debt – and that he would never have wanted the father of their son dead.

“Does that sound like the work of an assassin to you,” Levitt told jurors of the knifing during closing arguments Friday, adding that Prevez “desperately wanted money” to buy a house in Spain for his paramour. 

“If anyone had motive to kill Brent (Sikkema) it was Alejandro (Prevez). Alejandro took whatever cash was there.”

He stressed that Prevez allegedly texted his girlfriend that “she’ll be able to buy her dream house” after the killing, and scoffed that the $5,000 Daniel Sikkema transferred before the murder would never amount to payment for “a planned hit.”

Prosecutors argued the suspect’s warped plot was fueled by money woes – he was so broke he borrowed $13,000 from the couple’s housekeeper, whom he allegedly stiffed while quietly paying his alleged hitman. 

During the trial, prosecutors quoted a series of voice notes they said Daniel Sikkema sent to friends and relatives during the couple’s divorce. 

“It won’t be over until this man passes away,” he said in one of the recordings.

The suspect said in another, “I’m still fighting with this old bastard who won’t die,” according to the prosecutor.

The trial’s first witness, family friend Angela Liriano, testified that Daniel Sikkema repeatedly complained about money during the divorce. 

She also recalled a chilling phone conversation she had with him while at work.

“I told him, ‘Brent was just here. He told me he was going to Brazil.’ [Daniel] said he wished [Brent] will die,” Liriano said. “I was in shock.”

The jury found him guilty of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, murder-for-hire resulting in death, and conspiracy to murder or maim a person in a foreign country. 

He faces life in prison.

Some of Taylor Swift’s friends were less than pleased with a particular request found on her wedding invitation.

The 36-year-old singer, known for her hit “Opalite,” had previously informed her friends that her wedding to Travis Kelce was scheduled for July 3 in New York City, though the specific venue was yet to be disclosed.

Now, the Daily Mail has revealed that Swift has decided some guests will not be allowed to bring a date to the much-anticipated event.

“My invitation didn’t include a plus-one,” a guest, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed.

“I mean, what am I supposed to do? Attend alone? That’s really awkward. I don’t think I’ll go because I don’t want to show up by myself, and I’m unsure if I’ll know many people there. I mean, sorry, I’m not pals with Gigi and Bella Hadid!”

Some invitees will be able to bring a guest with them so it doesn’t feel totally fair, the source added.

‘I know Selena Gomez is bringing her husband Benny Blanco, so she has a plus one, but I am not allowed to have a plus one because I am a single woman. I get it, the venue can probably allow for only so many people, but it’s not the best feeling.’

Some of Taylor Swift’s wedding guests were not too thrilled with one of the requests that she made on her wedding invitation for her Travis Kelce nuptials

The singer let her friends know her nuptials to Kelce would take place on July 3 in New York City; a general invite from Lone Star Art Store is pictured

She also said, ‘It’s the wedding of the year, but I may sit this one out because I am shy.’

There is also no venue named yet for the high-profile nuptials. Guests will find out where the wedding is taking place the morning of July 3.

‘I get that too, she doesn’t want everyone knowing where she is getting married until the last minute for security reasons,’ said the source.

‘Now it is one big guessing game, everyone is wondering where it will be. Probably a massive hotel like the Waldorf Astoria that has amazing security and access,’ added the friend.

The Waldorf Astoria New York is located on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

It is where John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy began their honeymoon in 1953 before heading to Mexico. The hotel is also where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III announced their engagement in 1956.

The guest added that she ‘loves’ her pal Swift and wishes her ‘the best’ and doesn’t want to sound like a ‘major complainer’ as she ‘gets it.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Swift’s representative for comment. 

Some guests cannot bring a date. Also, the venue has not been announced yet but some think it could be The Waldorf Astoria New York

The lovebirds, seen on May 15, have been spending a lot of time in New York City this spring

The couple first went public with their relationship in 2023 and announced their engagement in August 2025 in a joint post on their Instagram pages that showed pictures of Kelce on one knee in a garden.

Swift displayed a large diamond ring as she wrote, ‘Your English teacher and gym teacher are getting married.’

The wedding will be full of well-known names. 

Believed to be on the guest list are Gomez, the Hadid sisters, Gigi’s boyfriend Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Lena Dunham and Zoe Kravitz. 

Kelce’s football coach, Andy Reid, 68, has already confirmed he will be attending the couple’s nuptials. Also expected to be there are Kelce’s brother Jason Kelce, his teammate Patrick Mahomes and Hollywood actor Miles Teller.

It is also thought that Swift will wear a wedding dress by designer Stella McCartney.

The white gown will be inspired by idol Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding look from when she tied the knot with Paris Hilton’s great uncle, Conrad Hilton, in 1950, the Daily Mail reported in April.

The singer made it clear she is a big fan of the late Cleopatra actress when she wrote a song dedicated to her on her latest album, The Life Of A Showgirl.

Her white gown will be inspired by idol Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding look from when she married Conrad Hilton in 1950, the Daily Mail has learned

It has been speculated that Stella McCartney may design her wedding dress; Swift in 2024

‘Taylor spent so much time looking at old photos of Elizabeth Taylor when she was making her music video for that song that she became enamored with the movie queen’s style,’ a source told the Daily Mail.

‘So when she started thinking about her wedding dress, she looked up Elizabeth’s old gowns online.’

Swift was taken by the Giant star’s 1950 gown because it was ‘so flattering,’ said the source. ‘Taylor said she liked how it was old-fashioned and came in at the waistline, plus the lace detailing,’ they added.

Kelce presented Swift with a custom-designed old mine-cut diamond engagement ring from Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry

Hilton and Taylor were married on May 6, 1950, when Taylor was 18. Their lavish wedding was a major media event as it was also a promotion for Taylor’s film Father Of The Bride. The difficult marriage lasted only eight months, ending in divorce in 1951.

Taylor was married eight times to seven different men between 1950 and 1996. In addition to Hilton, her husbands included Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner and Larry Fortensky. 

The source also hinted that Swift might wear a piece of the movie icon’s jewelry for her big day.

Swift’s wedding band will likely be from Artifex Fine Jewelry

‘She loves Elizabeth’s jewels so she may just wear one of her pieces, something on the smaller side for when she walks down the aisle,’ said the insider.

Swift already owns Taylor’s opal earring, bracelet and ring set that was purchased at auction for $250,000 in December 2024. 

Swift’s wedding band will probably be from Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry, who made her engagement ring when Kelce proposed in August 2025.

UsWeekly claimed they are expecting 150 guests. ‘It won’t be a huge wedding, but there will be many celebrities,’ said the source to the site.

Neither Swift nor Kelce wanted a huge wedding. ‘They’ve gone back and forth between inviting everyone and keeping it small and private,’ said a second source. ‘As of now, they’ve scaled it down. It’s no longer going to be a massive blowout.’ 

Swift will wear jewelry from Elizabeth Taylor; seen with the icon’s opal earrings, bracelet and ring on May 16

And there is no bridezilla among the pair who are talking about white flowers, gold wedding bands and a traditional 1950s style wedding cake. ‘They’re both involved and making decisions together,’ a source told the site. 

The lovebirds have been ‘focused on actually enjoying the process rather than getting caught up in the pressure.’ The insider added, ‘They’re keeping things light’ as they prepare without any pressing work obligations in front of them.

Kelce does not have to go to football training camp until late July.

The recent “teen takeover” phenomenon has grabbed the attention of Sheriff Grady Judd, who is determined to ensure that parents are held responsible for their children’s disruptive behavior. This commitment was made clear in a video shared on social media, where the Florida sheriff addressed the concerning trend.

“There’s a new TikTok fad,” Sheriff Judd explained, emphasizing the problematic behavior associated with it, such as causing chaos in restaurants, meeting in large groups, and reckless driving. He firmly stated, “That kind of behavior won’t be tolerated in Polk County.”

DRAMATIC BODYCAM FOOTAGE SHOWS OFFICERS BREAKING UP TEEN ‘TAKEOVER’ AMID BUSINESS VANDALISM: ‘THEY COME TO FIGHT’

On Thursday, Sheriff Judd, alongside Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid, revealed that since the school year commenced, 24 students have been detained for issuing written threats. This announcement was made through a video on the Polk County Schools YouTube channel.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid announced on Thursday that 24 students had been arrested since the start of the school year for making written threats. (Polk County Schools YouTube)

Now Judd is raising the stakes and warning that he would hold parents of teenagers who take part in the social media videos accountable if necessary.

“Mama and Daddy, if you don’t hold them accountable, personally, make sure they are home when they need to be, then we’re gonna come lock you up too, or charge you civilly,” he said.

“But parents, hold your children accountable, so we don’t have to,” Sherriff Judd said. “We will hold them accountable if you make us, but then we’re going to hold you accountable, too. Think about that. Then have a good summer.”

Authorities arrested 22 individuals during a teen takeover at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa, Fla., on May 8, 2026. (Tampa Police Department)

Judd’s message comes as cities across the country are facing teen takeovers are causing chaos.

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Polk County has a curfew in place for juveniles, which is for teens under 17. The curfew is 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For 17-year-olds, it is midnight to 6 a.m. every day.

In nearby Hillsborough County, which is directly adjacent to Polk County, police announced that they had arrested 22 people between the ages of 12 and 21, as part of a teen takeover on May 8.

Officers with the department were subsequently dispatched to the scene and deployed air patrols to quell the youngsters, with body camera footage showing the chaotic moment police officers rushed onto the scene and began making arrests at a teen takeover in Tampa, Florida on Friday, May 8, 2026.  (Tampa Police Department)

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The Tampa Police Department immediately responded with patrol officers, bike units, and Air Service personnel to restore order and ensure the safety of the surrounding community.

“This type of reckless and criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our city,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.

“What began as a large gathering quickly escalated into disorder and activity that placed others at risk. Parents need to know where their children are and who they are with. Unfortunately, the poor decisions made by these 22 individuals last night could have lasting consequences that follow them well into adulthood,” he said.

As a result of the operation, 22 were arrested on charges that included affray, possession of narcotics, resisting without violence, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Officers seized two firearms and one vehicle connected to the disturbance.

The growing crisis prompted the top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital to call for more accountability over rehabilitation for youth crimes as her office focuses on enhancing enforcement and increasing staffing.

“Youth violence is on the rise — not just in D.C., but across the country. And if you think that these kids need to be coddled, and they need to be hugged — they need to have consequences, they need to understand that enough is enough, that we’re going to put them in jail or some kind of youth rehabilitation detention facility and not allow the D.C. Council — one of whom I just recently indicted — to take cover for these kids,” Pirro said.

“It’s time to end it. That’s what the president wants, that’s what we’re going to do.”

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