SpaceX has launched its mega Starship rocket on its fifth test flight.
Science and Technology
On October 13, 2024, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) successfully launched the fifth test flight of the Starship, a fully reusable two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle, from Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, USA.
- The empty Starship took off from Texas, near the Mexican border, reaching an altitude of around "400 feet (121 meters)".
- The rocket flew over the Gulf of Mexico, similar to the previous four Starship flights.
- The retro-designed spacecraft, launched by the booster, continued ascending to over "130 miles (212 kilometers)" high.
Main Points:- (i) The Starship spacecraft can carry up to "150 metric tonnes" when fully reusable and "250 metric tonnes" when expendable.
(ii) The Super Heavy booster is powered by "33 Raptor engines" that use sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
(iii) The Starship is equipped with six engines: three Raptor engines and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are specifically designed for use in the vacuum of space.
About Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
CEO : Elon Musk
Headquarters : Hawthorne, California
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