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. The 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.
OVERVIEW
HEIGHT | 120 m / 394 ft |
DIAMETER | 9 m / 30 ft |
PAYLOAD TO LEO | 100+ t / 220+ klb |
STARSHIP
SpaceX’s Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system. It offers an integrated payload section and is capable of carrying passengers and cargo to Earth orbit, planetary destinations, and between destinations on Earth.
HEIGHT | 50 m / 164 ft |
DIAMETER | 9 m / 30 ft |
PROPELLANT CAPACITY | 1200 t / 2.6 Mlb |
THRUST | 1500 tf / 3.2Mlbf |
PAYLOAD CAPACITY | 100-150 t orbit dependent |
SUPER HEAVY
The first stage, or booster, of our next-generation launch system has a gross liftoff mass of over 3 million kg and uses sub-cooled liquid methane and liquid oxygen (CH4/LOX) propellants. The booster will return to land at the launch site on its 6 legs.
HEIGHT | 69 m / 230 ft |
DIAMETER | 9 m / 30 ft |
PROPELLANT CAPACITY | 3400 t / 6.8 Mlb |
THRUST | 7590 tf / 17 Mlbf |
STARSHIP USES
SATELLITES
Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb.
SPACE STATION
Starship can deliver both cargo and people to and from the ISS. Starship’s fairing provides significant capacity for in-space activities. The aft cargo containers can also host a variety of payloads.
MOON MISSIONS
Developing bases to support future space exploration requires the transport of large amounts of cargo to the Moon for research and human spaceflight development. Starship is designed to carry these building blocks.
INTERPLANETARY TRANSPORT
Building cities on Mars will require affordable delivery of significant quantities of cargo and people. The fully reusable Starship system uses in-space propellant transfer to achieve this and carry people on long-duration, interplanetary flights.
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