SpaceX Starship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Starship

A Starship prototype ready for launch: Starship spacecraft S24 on top of Super Heavy B7.
Function	Super-heavy lift rocket
Project cost	At least US$5 billion
Cost per launch	$100 million (one-time use)
Size
Height	121.3 m
Diameter	9 m
Mass	5,000,000 kg
Capacity
Payload to LEO (close to Earth)	100,000–150,000 kg
Associated rockets
Derivatives	Starship HLS (Moon lander)
Comparable	N1 Energia Saturn V Space Launch System Long March 9 Long March 10
Launch history
Status	Still being developed
Launch sites	Starbase, Launch Pad A Starbase, Launch Pad B (being built) Kennedy, LC-39A (being built) Cape Canaveral, SLC-37 (planned)
Total launches	5
Successes	3
Failures	2 (Flight 1, Flight 2)
First flight	20 April 2023; 2 years ago (2023-04-20)
Last flight	13 October 2024; 8 months ago (2024-10-13)
Boosters – Super Heavy
Length	71 m
Diameter	9 m
Empty mass	275,000 kg
Gross mass	3,675,000 kg
Propellant mass	3,400,000 kg
Engines	33 × Raptor engines
Thrust	74,400 kN
Specific impulse	At sea level: 327 isp
Fuel	Liquid methane / LOX
Second stage – Starship
Length	50.3 m
Diameter	9 m
Empty mass	~100,000 kg
Gross mass	1,300,000 kg
Propellant mass	1,200,000 kg
Engines	3 × Raptor engines 3 × Raptor vacuum engines
Thrust	12,300 kN
Specific impulse	At sea level: 327 isp In space: 380 isp
Fuel	Liquid methane / LOX

Starship is a giant rocket system being built by SpaceX. It is designed to be fully reusable, meaning both parts of the rocket can fly back to Earth and be used again. This helps make space travel much cheaper.

On April 20, 2023, Starship had its first big test flight. It became the biggest and most powerful rocket system ever to fly. SpaceX wants to use Starship to send people and cargo to the Moon and even Mars.

What is Starship?

Starship is made of two main parts:

• The first part is the Super Heavy booster. This is the giant bottom part that pushes the rocket off the ground.
• The second part is the Starship spacecraft. This is the top part that goes into space.

Both parts use special engines called Raptor engines. These engines burn liquid methane (like natural gas) and liquid oxygen. The rocket's main body is made from a strong type of stainless steel.

Why is Starship Special?

Starship is special because it is designed to be fully reusable. This means that after launching, both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft can return to Earth. SpaceX plans to "catch" the booster with the launch tower itself! This is a new way to land rockets.

By reusing the rocket parts, SpaceX hopes to:

• Lower the cost of sending things into space.
• Send more cargo and people into orbit.
• Launch rockets more often.
• Build many rockets quickly.
• Use the same rocket for many different space missions.

What Can Starship Do?

Starship is still being developed, but SpaceX plans for it to do many things. It will replace SpaceX's older rockets, like the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.

Here are some of the missions Starship is planned for:

• Carrying Cargo: It can launch satellites, including SpaceX's own Starlink internet satellites.
• Refueling in Space: Some Starships will act as "tankers" to refuel other Starships in orbit. This is important for long trips to the Moon or Mars.
• Human Spaceflight: Starship will carry astronauts into space.
• Moon Landings: A special version called Starship HLS will land astronauts on the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program. This will start with Artemis III in 2026.
• Mars Missions: Eventually, Starship is planned to take people to Mars.

To go to faraway places like the Moon or Mars, Starship will need to be refueled in space. This means another Starship will bring fuel to it while it's orbiting Earth. SpaceX expects to show how this works in 2025.

How is Starship Being Built?

SpaceX is building Starship using a method called "iterative and incremental development." This means they build and test many different versions (prototypes) of the rocket. Each test flight helps them learn what works and what needs to be improved. This way, they can make changes quickly and keep making the rocket better.

Images for kids

• 

  A Raptor 1 engine, designed for use at sea level, in May 2020.

• 

  SpaceX CEO Elon Musk holding a model of a large rocket.

• 

  Starship SN8 shortly after taking off in December 2020.

• 

  Starship during its first big test flight. Some engines on the bottom part stopped working.

• 

  Starship during its second big test flight.

• 

  Booster 12 being successfully caught by the launch tower during flight test 5.

• 

  A diagram showing the Artemis III mission to the Moon. It uses Starship HLS, Starship tankers, and the Orion spacecraft.

• 

  Ship 27, Ship 26 and Booster 10 (front part) being built at Starbase in March 2023.

• 

  Launch pad A being built at Starbase in August 2021.

• 

  The Starship launch tower (on the right) being built at LC-39A in January 2024, while a Falcon 9 rocket launches nearby.

See also

In Spanish: Starship (SpaceX) para niños