SpaceX Super Heavy facts for kids
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Booster 7 on the Orbital Launch Mount at Starbase in February 2023. B7 was the only booster to launch without a Vented Interstage.
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| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Used on | SpaceX Starship |
| General characteristics | |
| Height | 71 m (233 ft) |
| Diameter | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Gross mass | 3,600 t (7,900,000 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 3,400 t (7,500,000 lb) |
| Empty mass | 200 t (440,000 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | In development |
| Total launches | 4 |
| Failed | 1 (IFT-1) |
| Other | Failed after staging (IFT-2, IFT-3) |
| First flight | April 20, 2023 |
| Super Heavy | |
| Engines | 33 Raptor engines |
| Thrust | 7,590 tf (74.4 MN; 16,700,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 327 s (3.21 km/s) (sea-level) |
| Fuel | Liquid oxygen / Methane |
Super Heavy is the giant first part of the SpaceX Starship rocket. It's like the powerful booster that lifts the entire rocket off the ground. It works with the Starship spacecraft, which is the second part of the rocket.
SpaceX is still testing Super Heavy. The very first flight happened on April 20, 2023. This was the first time the full Starship rocket tried to reach orbit.
Building the Super Heavy Rocket
The Super Heavy rocket is made from large rolls of strong steel. First, these steel rolls are flattened and cut into pieces. Then, these pieces are welded together to form huge rings. Each ring is about 9 meters (30 feet) wide and 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall. They are also about 4 millimeters thick.
These steel rings are then stacked on top of each other. They are carefully welded together to create the outer shell of the rocket. Big dome-shaped parts are added early in the building process. These domes help form the top and bottom of the fuel tanks.
Before the rocket is fully put together, special parts are added. These include grid fins, which help steer the rocket. Also, chines are added after the fuel tanks are stacked. After the rocket tanks are tested with very cold liquids, the powerful engines are installed. Finally, a special "vented interstage" part is added.
Super Heavy's Design and Size
The Super Heavy rocket stands very tall, about 71 meters (233 feet) high. It is also very wide, measuring 9 meters (30 feet) across.
The rocket has four main parts:
- The engines at the bottom, which provide the thrust.
- The fuel tank, which holds the methane fuel.
- The oxygen tank, which holds the liquid oxygen needed for the engines to burn the fuel.
- The interstage, which connects the Super Heavy to the Starship spacecraft.
Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, has said that the finished Super Heavy will be quite light for its size. It will weigh between 160 and 200 metric tons (about 350,000 to 440,000 pounds) when empty. The tanks alone will weigh about 80 metric tons (176,000 pounds). The interstage part will weigh around 20 metric tons (44,000 pounds).
See also
- Starlink, a large group of satellites made by SpaceX
