Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket in aerospace history, will take off today for an orbital test. The brainchild of SpaceX, the company of the eccentric Elon Musk, Starship is designed to take people to the Moon and Mars in the future, although that may still be some time away.
With a 50% chance of success, according to Musk, this launch will be the first occasion on which Starship’s two stages (which include Super Heavy, the upper stage) will launch together. In addition, no landing of either the rocket or the spacecraft is planned, as both will fall into the sea. So that you are well informed about everything involved in this titanic project, we explain everything you need to know about Starship.
How big is starship?
Starship is 50 meters tall, and is capable of lifting up to 250 tons and accommodating 100 people. In addition to being used to travel to the Moon and Mars, Musk also plans to use Starship to launch satellites into low Earth orbit, including, of course, his own Starlinks, the satellites that provide Internet.
With 33 main engines and a thrust force of 16.7 million pounds, Starship is quite the stainless steel colossus. In February, 31 of the 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy, Starship’s first stage, briefly ignited, ensuring that, if replicated, the spacecraft could reach orbit, according to Musk.
When will Starship be launched?
Starship will lift off today, April 17, at 8.20 AM EDT (3.20 PM in Spain). The launch can be followed, as usual, from SpaceX’s own YouTube channel, which will start its coverage 65 minutes earlier, at 7.15 AM EDT (2.15 PM in Spain). Undoubtedly, it is a historic moment in aerospace history, so it will be watched by thousands and thousands of viewers.
Where will Starship take off from?
Starship will take off from a remote location on the southern tip of Texas, near Boca Chica Beach. The complex from which the spacecraft will take off is called Starbase, and is located below South Padre Island, as well as 30 kilometers from Brownsville. This complex is where SpaceX has been developing and building all its prototypes all these years, thanks to the work of more than 1,800 employees.
How long will Starship’s flight last?
Starship’s flight will last an hour and a half, according to estimates, and will not achieve a full orbit of the Earth. If all goes according to plan and Starship passes the 3-minute mark after launch, the booster will be commanded to separate, dropping into the Gulf of Mexico. After that, the spacecraft would continue eastward, traversing the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, finally splashing down in Hawaii.
Are there any companies that compete with SpaceX and Starship?
Starship is not the only spacecraft to be launched into space in the next few years. The company Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is building a rocket called New Glenn that will take off from Cape Canaveral (Florida) next year. In addition, United Launch Alliance expects to launch its new Vulcan rocket later this year, with the intention of sending a private lunar lander to the Moon at NASA‘s request.
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