5 key facts about SpaceX's Starship rocket
SpaceX's Starship rocket is claimed to be the world's most powerful rocket to have ever been developed. The Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, collectively known as Starship, will be able to ferry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, Moon, Mars, and beyond. The launch vehicle is soon expected to go on its first orbital test flight next week.
Starship can carry about 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights
Starship can carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights, as per the company. It can deliver satellites and large space telescopes and help build a base on the Moon to support future space exploration. It is designed to carry payloads to much farther distances and at a "lower marginal cost per launch" than the current Falcon rockets.
Starship can travel anywhere in the world within 1 hour
The Starship spacecraft is the second stage of the Starship system. Both Starship and Super Heavy are fully reusable. The 29.5-foot-tall Starship comes with an integrated payload section that can ferry crew and cargo. It is also capable of point-to-point transport on Earth and can support "travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less," according to SpaceX.
Super Heavy is powered by 33 engines
Super Heavy is the first stage, also called the booster, of the Starship launch system. The 226-foot-tall booster is powered by 33 Raptor engines, with 13 at the center and the remaining 20 be placed along the periphery of the booster's aft end. The first stage would be capable of hauling payloads of 100,000kg in the Low Earth orbit (LEO).
Raptor engine is fueled by liquid methane and liquid oxygen
The Raptor engine is fueled by liquid methane and liquid oxygen (LOX), which powers the Starship system. The 4.2-foot-tall engine provides twice the thrust when compared to the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Starship will be powered by a total of six engines, including three Raptor engines and three Raptor Vacuum engines, which are designed to last in the vacuum of space.
Starship will go on its first orbital test flight soon
Standing at 394-feet-tall, Super Heavy and the Starship spacecraft would be the tallest-ever rocket. Starship is expected to go on its first orbital test flight on April 10. It will launch from the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Starship will support the 'Dear Moon' and Artemis 3 missions
Starship will support the Dear Moon mission which will take Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa along with other artists on a week-long trip around the Moon. It will be the "first civilian mission to take place in 2023." NASA is also planning to use Starship to launch the future Artemis 3 mission, expected to take off in 2025, which will land astronauts on the Moon.
