Apr 17, 2023, 10:51 PM IST
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will attempt to launch the most powerful spacecraft ever built by humans Monday morning in US. Here are key facts about the launch vehicle.
According to SpaceX, Starship is capable of carrying up to 100 passengers on long interplanetary trips. It can transport big space observatories and satellites, as well as aid in building bases on the moon for further space exploration.
Starship is designed in a way to facilitate travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less, according to SpaceX. The 394 feet tall mammoth rocket can transport crew as well as cargo.
The spacecraft is powered by 33 Raptor engines; 13 in the centre and the rest 20 distributed around the booster's aft end.
The powerful engine of Starship is fueled by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. It produces twice the thrust when compared to the Falcon 9 Merlin engine.
Starship will facilitate the Dear Moon project, under which a week-long tour around the Moon by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and other artists will be arranged. NASA might also use this for future Artemis 3 missions.