What to know about first test flight of SpaceX’s big Starship

What to know about first test flight of SpaceX’s big Starship

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• Elon Musk’s SpaceX is about to launch the first test flight of its mammoth Starship.
• It’s the biggest and mightiest rocket ever built, with the lofty goals of ferrying people to the moon and Mars.

About SpaceX Starship:

• Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed and built by SpaceX with the primary goal of sending humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Key objectives

• SpaceX aims to use Starship to establish a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars.
• The ultimate goal is to enable humans to become a multi-planetary species.
• It also aims to make Starship reusable, reducing the cost of spaceflight and bringing down the price to a few million dollars per flight.
• In the long run, the company aims to achieve full and rapid reusability of the spacecraft.

Features:

1. Design and configurability:

• Made up of two parts: a 50-meter tall spacecraft and a 70-meter tall Super Heavy rocket booster.
• Spacecraft has six Raptor engines; Super Heavy Booster has 28 Raptor engines.
• Payload capacity of up to 250 metric tons and features a large heat shield.
• Interior can be configured for up to 100 passengers or cargo.

2. Manoeuvrability

• Designed to be fully reusable, with vertical take-off and landing on Earth, Moon, and Mars.
• Can be refuelled in orbit for deeper space travel and for establishing a human settlement on Mars.

3. Construction and materials

• Built using durable and cost-effective stainless steel material.
• Stainless steel also provides heat protection during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

4. Power and thrust:

• The stainless steel Starship has 33 main engines.
• Powered by methane and liquid oxygen fueled Raptor engines.
• Generates 17 million pounds of thrust more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used for the Apollo missions.

Other competitors:

• Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is readying the New Glenn rocket for its orbital debut from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• United Launch Alliance expects its new Vulcan rocket to make its inaugural launch later this year, hoisting a private lunar lander to the moon at NASA’s behest.
• Europe’s Arianespace is close to launching its new, upgraded Ariane 6 rocket from French Guiana in South America.