SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)

Starship

Starship prototype SN20 at the launch site; the distinctive stainless steel structure is visible as well as the edges of the dark thermal protection tiles that cover the other side of the vehicle.
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Operator	SpaceX
Applications	Crew and cargo interplanetary transport Refueling operations Point-to-point transport on Earth
Website	spacex.com/vehicles/starship
Specifications
Spacecraft type	Crewed, reusable
Launch mass	~1,300,000 kg (2,900,000 lb)[a]
Dry mass	~100,000 kg (220,000 lb)[1]
Payload capacity	200,000 kg (440,000 lb) (planned)
Crew capacity	Up to 100 (planned)
Volume	1,000 m3 (35,000 cu ft) (planned)
Dimensions
Height	50.3 m (165 ft)
Diameter	9 m (30 ft)
Wingspan	17 m (56 ft)
Production
Status	In development
Launched	6
Retired	3
Failed	1 (IFT-2)
Lost	2 (IFT-1, IFT-3)
Maiden launch	20 April 2023
Related spacecraft
Derivatives	Starship HLS
Flown with	SpaceX Super Heavy
Technical details
Propellant mass	1,200,000 kg (2,600,000 lb)
Powered by	3 × Raptor engines 3 × Raptor vacuum engines
Maximum thrust	12,300 kN (2,800,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	SL: 327 s (3.21 km/s) vac: 380 s (3.7 km/s)[2]
Propellant	CH4 / LOX

Starship is a spacecraft and second stage^[3] under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Stacked atop its booster, the Super Heavy, the pair compose SpaceX's new super heavy-lift space vehicle, also called Starship. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to a variety of destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. It's designed to be reusable and capable of landing propulsively by firing its engines to perform a controlled descent^[4] in the arms of a tower on Earth or with landing legs on other planetary bodies.^[5] It is intended to enable long duration interplanetary flights with a crew of up to 100 people.^[3] It will also be capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in less than an hour. Furthermore, it will be used to refuel other Starship spacecraft, enabling them to reach higher orbits and other space destinations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, estimated in a tweet that eight launches would be needed to completely refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit, enabling it to travel onwards.^[6]

Development began in 2012, when Musk described a plan to build a reusable rocket system with substantially greater capabilities than the Falcon 9 and the planned Falcon Heavy. The rocket evolved through many design and name changes. On July 25, 2019, the Starhopper prototype performed the first successful flight at SpaceX Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas.^[7] In May 2021, the SN15 prototype became the first full-size test spacecraft to take off and land successfully.^[8] On April 20, 2023, Starship 24 performed the first full flight test on top of a Super Heavy booster, followed by a second test on November 18, 2023, when Starship 25 successfully completed hot-staging and passed the Kármán Line, becoming the first Starship to reach space as well as the heaviest object to ever reach space, before exploding at 148 km.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} As of November 2024, SpaceX has conducted 4 more flight tests of Starship, successfully achieving orbital velocities and gradually testing the atmospheric reentry and vertical landing capabilities of the vehicle by performing controlled splashdowns into the Indian ocean.^[14] In April 2024, Elon Musk announced two new versions of Starship, Block 2 and Block 3. Both versions will be taller and will have increased thrust.^[15]

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