SPACEX STARSHIP - SCI
& TECH
News: SpaceX’s Starship Rocket
Successfully Completes 1st Return From Space
What's in the news?
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SpaceX’s Starship rocket recently had its first
fully successful test flight, with both the booster and spacecraft gently landing
in the ocean after an hour-long flight.
Key takeaways:
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The company achieved a key set of ambitious goals
on the fourth test flight of a vehicle that is central to Elon Musk’s vision of
sending people to Mars.
Starship:
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Starship is a fully
reusable spacecraft designed and built by SpaceX with the primary goal of sending humans to the Moon, Mars, and
beyond.
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Starship has been under development since 2012 and
is a part of Space X’s central mission to make interplanetary travel accessible
and affordable and to become the first private company to do so.
Launched by: SpaceX, a private firm based in the US.
Aim:
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SpaceX aims to use Starship to establish a
self-sustaining human settlement on Mars.
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The ultimate goal is to enable humans to become a multi-planetary species.
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It also aims to make Starship reusable, reducing
the cost of spaceflight and bringing down the price to a few million dollars
per flight.
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In the long run, the company aims to achieve full
and rapid reusability of the spacecraft.
Features:
1. Design and
configuration:
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It is a two-stage
heavy lift vehicle.
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Made up of two parts - a 50-meter tall spacecraft
and a 70-meter tall Super Heavy rocket booster.
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Spacecraft has six Raptor engines, Super Heavy
Booster has 28 Raptor engines.
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These Raptor engines use a 3.6:1 ratio of liquid
oxygen (the oxidiser, a chemical which reacts with the fuel to cause
combustion) and liquid methane (the fuel).
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Payload capacity of up to 100 metric tons and features a large heat shield.
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Interior can be configured for up to 100 passengers or cargo.
2. Manoeuvrability:
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Designed to be fully
reusable, with vertical take-off and landing on Earth, Moon, and Mars.
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Can be refuelled in orbit for deeper space travel
and for establishing a human settlement on Mars.
3. Construction:
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Built using durable and cost-effective stainless steel material.
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Stainless steel also provides heat protection
during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
4. Power and thrust:
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Powered by methane
and liquid oxygen fueled Raptor engines.
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Generates 17 million pounds of thrust more than
twice that of the Saturn V rockets used for the Apollo missions.