SpaceX Starship

The SpaceX Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft and super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by SpaceX, an American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Initial concepts for a massive reusable rocket date back to 2005, but the project evolved significantly over the years. It began as the Mars Colonial Transporter in 2012, transitioned to the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) in 2016 with a focus on methane-fueled propulsion for interplanetary travel, and was renamed the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) in 2017 with a scaled-down 9-meter diameter design capable of carrying 150-250 tons to low Earth orbit. In 2018, it was officially unveiled as Starship, emphasizing full reusability, orbital refueling, and missions to the Moon and Mars.

Development followed an iterative approach, with rapid prototyping starting in 2019 at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. The first prototype, Starhopper, achieved a 150-meter hop test that year, proving basic flight capabilities. High-altitude tests began in 2020 with prototypes like SN8, which demonstrated controlled descent but ended in explosions during early landings. By 2023, the first integrated flight test of the full Starship stack (booster and upper stage) occurred, though it resulted in a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Subsequent tests in 2024 and 2025 refined reusability, including successful booster catches using mechanical arms and ship landings, leading to operational versions categorized as Block 1 (V1) prototypes, Block 2 (V2) with improved electronics, and Block 3 (V3) with larger dimensions and enhanced payload capacity.

Today, Starship represents a breakthrough in space exploration, with plans for lunar landings under NASA’s Artemis program starting in 2028, Mars cargo missions in 2030, and human flights to Mars thereafter. Its stainless steel construction, powered by up to 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster and six on the upper stage, enables unprecedented payload delivery at reduced costs. As of 2026, Starship continues to evolve, supporting satellite deployments, space tourism, and deep-space ambitions, marking a new era in reusable rocketry.

•  Fully Stacked Vehicle (Starship + Super Heavy Booster): Height: 123 meters (403 feet); Diameter: 9 meters (29.5 feet); Payload Capacity: 100-150 metric tons (fully reusable), up to 250 metric tons (expendable); Propellant Type: Sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX); Total Thrust: Approximately 9,090 metric ton-force (combined); Reusability: Fully reusable design for rapid turnaround.

•  Starship Upper Stage/Spacecraft: Height: 52 meters (171 feet); Diameter: 9 meters (29.5 feet); Propellant Capacity: 1,500 metric tons (3.3 million pounds); Thrust: 1,500 metric ton-force (3.3 million pounds-force); Engines: 6 total (3 sea-level Raptor engines for landing and ascent, 3 Raptor Vacuum engines optimized for space); Dry Mass: Approximately 120-150 metric tons (estimated, varies by configuration); Materials/Armor: Stainless steel construction with ceramic heat shield tiles for re-entry protection.

•  Super Heavy Booster/First Stage: Height: 71 meters (232 feet); Diameter: 9 meters (29.5 feet); Propellant Capacity: 3,400 metric tons (7.5 million pounds); Thrust: 7,590 metric ton-force (16.7 million pounds-force); Engines: 33 Raptor engines (reusable methane-oxygen staged-combustion type, with 13 center and 20 outer); Dry Mass: Approximately 250-300 metric tons (estimated); Materials/Armor: Stainless steel body for durability and thermal protection.

•  Raptor Engine (Main Engine Type): Height: 3.1 meters (10.2 feet); Diameter: 1.3 meters (4.2 feet); Thrust per Engine: 230 metric ton-force (507,000 pounds-force); Fuel: Liquid methane and oxygen; Key Features: Full-flow staged combustion cycle, twice the thrust of Falcon 9’s Merlin engine, designed for reusability and high efficiency in atmosphere and vacuum.

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