Elon Musk’s Starship rocket will make its third test flight today after its two previous attempts ended in explosions.

The world’s most powerful rocket will launch from Boca Chica in Texas at 7am local time – or 12pm UK time. The aim is for the rocket to blast off and reach space before splashing down in the ocean. 

The SpaceX super-heavy rocket, which stands 400ft tall, is intended to take astronauts back to the Moon for Nasa by 2026 – and ultimately onwards to Mars.

Starship’s two previous launch tests in April and November last year ended early in a fireball. However, its second effort reached space, albeit with the mission terminating after eight minutes.

The previous launches were both hailed as a success by scientists, who said the data gathered took them closer to a safe launch.

The Telegraph will be covering the launch live and you can watch the livestream right here as we approach the launch time.

In the meantime, here’s what happened at last November’s launch: