Starship | Microsite
STARSHIP SN8 TAKES FLIGHT REWATCH
On Wednesday, December 9, Starship serial number 8 Thank you to all the locals supporting our efforts in (SN8) lifted off from our Cameron County launch pad Cameron County and beyond. Congratulations to the and successfully ascended, transitioned propellant, and entire Starship and SpaceX teams on today’s test! Serial performed its landing flip maneuver with precise flap number 9 (SN9) is up next – Mars, here we come! control to reach its landing point. Low pressure in the fuel header tank during the landing burn led to high touchdown velocity resulting in a hard (and exciting!) landing. Re-watch SN8's flight here. SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit.
EVENT Starship EVENT STARSHIP UPDATE Update
LANDING ON MARS Starship will enter Mars’ atmosphere at 7.5 kilometers per second and decelerate aerodynamically. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to withstand multiple entries, but given that the vehicle is coming into Mars' atmosphere so hot, we still expect to see some ablation of the heat shield (similar to wear and tear on a brake pad). The engineering video below simulates the physics of Mars entry for Starship. WATCH SIMULATION
Engines Raptor The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged- combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown. HEIGHT 120 m / 394 ft DIAMETER 9 m / 30 ft PAYLOAD TO LEO 100+ t / 220+ klb
FIRST PRIVATE LUNAR MISSION On September 17, 2018, SpaceX announced fashion innovator and globally recognized art curator Yusaku Maezawa will be the company’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon in 2023. This first private lunar passenger flight, featuring a fly-by of the Moon as part of a week-long mission, will help fund development of SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy, an important step in enabling access for everyday people who dream of flying to space. Watch the announcement here.
