The largest rocket that has ever been built has successfully launched into orbit.
What’s happening:
- SpaceX has successfully launched their Starship rocket into orbit after their recent launch in Texas
- The Starship is the most significant rocket ever built by SpaceX and is vital to their mission of establishing a presence on Mars
Why it matters:
- After multiple failed launch attempts, Starship finally getting into orbit is enormous validation for the space exploration and rocket technology developed by SpaceX
- SpaceX’s Starship is the largest rocket that has ever been built
By the numbers:
- The Starship is 165 feet long and is powered by 3 Raptor engines and 3 Raptor vacuum engines
- This was the 3rd launch attempt by SpaceX to get the Starship successfully into orbit
- It is estimated that the development costs associated with building the Starship are somewhere between $5-$10B USD
Going deeper:
- NASA has an existing partnership with SpaceX to use the Starship rocket to land astronauts on the moon as part of their Artemis 3 project
The fine print:
- While the SpaceX Starship made it into orbit, the rocket was eventually lost on its return back to Earth
