SpaceX has just taken another step towards the future of space exploration, on October 13, the colossal StarShip rocket successfully completed its eleventh test flight, marking the second conceptual success of the program and consolidating the most promising phase since the beginning of the project.
The launch took place at the Starbase base in south Texas and was the final test of version 2 of the vehicle, which measures an impressive 123 m taller than a 35-story building. During the flight, the SuperHeavy booster's 33 Raptor engines successfully ignited, propelling the Starship to separation. The upper stage then re-ignited six engines to continue the ascent and later ran an orbital firing simulation, demonstrating its maneuverability in space.
Both the booster and the ship landed intact, the first in the Gulf of Mexico and the second in the Indian Ocean. In addition to the double landing maneuver, the test also validated the re-ignition in orbit and the launch of Starlink dummy payloads, simulating future commercial scientific missions.
The StarShip is the heart of Elon Musk's vision to turn humanity into a multiplanetary species, the rocket was chosen by NASA as the manned lunar landing module for the Artemis III mission, which will take humans to the lunar surface again in 2027, but the plans go further, Elon Musk wants the Starship to be the vehicle that establishes the first human colonies on Mars, transporting not only astronauts, but also structures, energy and even entire habitats.
Behind the scenes SpaceX is already working on variations three and four of the rocket, each one more ambitious than the last. Version 3 should reach 124 m in height, while the future 4 formally dubbed Future Starship will reach 142 m, equipped with 42 Raptor engines, of which 9 will be in the upper stage. These new variants will inaugurate full orbital flights, cargo missions and propellant transfer in space, an essential step towards interplanetary travel.
Elon Musk witnessed the launch of Flight 11 in person, for the first time outside the control room. described the experience as much more visceral, highlighting the almost physical sound and vibration of liftoff, now, with a sequence of successful launches and a full fleet under construction, the company is preparing for its most challenging phase, putting the StarShip into orbit and bringing it back fully reusable.
If that goal is met, humanity could for the first time have a vehicle capable of landing, resupplying itself and leaving again for another world.
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