Starship Is Ready For Launch

IMAGE: SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful super heavy rocket is seen as the moon rises. Photographs: Joe Skipper/Reuters

Glimpses of SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful super heavy rocket is prepared for launch at the company's Boca Chica launchpad in Brownsville, Texas.

Starship and the super heavy rocket is collectively known as the Starship system.

The Starship and the second stage is a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth's orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

According to spacex.com it is developed to carry a payload capacity up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

It has a height of 50 metres/165 feet with diameter of 9 metres/29.5 feet.

The Starship is also capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less.

The super heavy rocket is the first stage or the booster of the Starship launch system. It is powered by 33 Raptor engines using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX). It is fully reusable and can re-enter the Earth's atmosphere to land back at the launch site.

It has a height of 71 metres/232 feet with diameter of 9 metres/29.5 feet.

Collectively the Starship system has a height of 121 metres/397 feet.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com