SpaceX Starship (Super Heavy + Ship)
SpaceX · Reusable Launch Vehicle (Booster) · USA · Digital Age (2010–present)
SpaceX Starship is a fully reusable two-stage super-heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas, between 2019 and the present. The full stack — Super Heavy first-stage booster + Starship upper stage — stands 121 m (397 ft) tall, the tallest in-service rocket ever built. Starship is designed to deliver 100-150 tonnes to LEO fully reusable, replace SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy fleets, and serve as the lunar-lander vehicle for NASA's Artemis programme. As of 2026 Starship has completed multiple integrated test flights and is in in-service ramp-up.
The configuration is unique among large rockets. Both stages are built from 9-m-diameter stainless-steel cylinders — chosen over the conventional aluminium-lithium alloy for cost, fabricability, and high-temperature performance. Power comes from Raptor full-flow staged-combustion methane/liquid-oxygen engines: 33 on the Super Heavy first stage (74 MN total liftoff thrust, more than double the Saturn V), 6 on the Starship upper stage. Both stages return propulsively — Super Heavy to the launch tower's "chopstick" catch arms, Starship through atmospheric entry to either the launch tower or to a Mars-surface landing.
Test flights began on 20 April 2023 (IFT-1) with both stages destroyed about 4 minutes after launch by a propellant-line failure that triggered range safety. IFT-2 (18 November 2023) reached stage separation but lost both stages. IFT-3 (14 March 2024) reached orbital velocity and re-entry but Starship broke up over the Indian Ocean. IFT-4 (6 June 2024) completed full mission profile including booster splashdown and Starship soft splashdown. IFT-5 (13 October 2024) achieved the first Super Heavy launch-tower catch — chopstick-arm capture of a returning 70-m booster, an unprecedented in-service achievement. Subsequent flights have demonstrated booster reuse and on-orbit refuelling.
Starship is contracted as the lunar-surface lander for NASA's Artemis III, Artemis IV, and follow-on missions through Artemis VI. Commercial customers include the dearMoon mission (privately-funded lunar flyby), Polaris (private orbital and Hubble-servicing missions), and Mars-cargo missions targeting 2027-2028 launch windows. Starship's eventual production cadence is targeted at 100+ launches per year, replacing Falcon 9 entirely by approximately 2030. The vehicle is built and launched from SpaceX's Boca Chica (Starbase), Texas, facility.
For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version
Starship is SpaceX's newest and most ambitious rocket. It's the world's biggest and most powerful rocket — bigger than the Saturn V that took astronauts to the Moon in 1969. Starship is designed to be fully reusable: both the rocket booster and the spacecraft come back to Earth and fly again.
Starship has two parts. The Super Heavy booster is the bottom stage — 230 feet tall, with 33 Raptor engines. The Starship spacecraft is the top stage — 165 feet tall, with 6 Raptor engines. When stacked together, they reach 397 feet tall — taller than a 33-story building. Total liftoff thrust is over 17 million pounds — more than twice that of the Saturn V.
Starship first flew in April 2023 — the rocket cleared the launch pad but exploded a few minutes later. SpaceX kept trying. By 2026, Starship has flown 7 test flights, with progressively better results.
The booster has successfully returned to the launch pad and been "caught" by giant mechanical arms (called "chopsticks"). The Starship spacecraft has made it to orbit and back. Crewed flights are planned to start around 2027.
NASA picked Starship to land astronauts on the Moon for the Artemis program. The first crewed lunar landing using Starship is planned for 2027 or 2028. SpaceX also wants to use Starship for Mars missions, eventually carrying humans to the red planet. SpaceX is building Starships at a factory in Boca Chica, Texas — they plan to produce one new Starship every few weeks once production ramps up.
Fun Facts
- Starship is the world's biggest and most powerful rocket — taller than the Saturn V that went to the Moon.
- Total liftoff thrust over 17 million pounds — more than twice that of the Saturn V.
- The booster has 33 Raptor engines; the upper spacecraft has 6 more — 39 engines total.
- Starship is designed to be fully reusable — both the booster and the spacecraft come back to fly again.
- First flight April 2023 — exploded after liftoff. By 2026, Starship has flown 7 test flights.
- Starship boosters return to the launch pad and are "caught" by giant mechanical arms (called chopsticks).
- NASA picked Starship to land astronauts on the Moon for the Artemis program.
Kids’ Questions
Why is Starship so big?
Elon Musk wants Starship to carry humans to Mars — a big trip that needs a big rocket. Mars is about 140 million miles from Earth. Carrying enough food, water, life-support, and rocket fuel for a 7-month trip plus a return trip requires a huge spacecraft. Starship can carry about 150 tons of cargo to low Earth orbit — enough to lift a small house. For Mars missions, Starship will need to refuel in orbit (other Starships will bring fuel up), then fly on to Mars with enough cargo for the trip. The Saturn V (1969) only carried 3 astronauts and a tiny lunar lander. Starship needs to carry many more people and much more stuff.
Why catch the booster with mechanical arms?
Falcon 9 boosters land on legs that fold out at the last moment. The legs add weight (about 4 tons per booster) and reduce the payload by that much. SpaceX engineers had a clever idea for Starship: instead of legs, the booster has no legs at all. Instead, the booster flies back to the launch pad, slows down with engine firing, and gets "caught" by giant mechanical arms attached to the launch tower. The arms close around the booster and hold it gently. This saves all the weight of landing legs — meaning more payload can go to orbit. The first successful catch was in October 2024 — engineers worldwide cheered.
Variants
- Starship (Block 1)
- Initial test-flight configuration. 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy + 6 on Starship. Stainless-steel construction. IFT-1 through IFT-7 flew Block 1 hardware (with progressive upgrades).
- Starship (Block 2)
- Larger, more powerful production variant. Increased propellant load + more efficient engines. First test flight planned 2026.
- Starship HLS (Human Landing System)
- NASA Artemis lunar-lander variant. Starship vehicle modified for vacuum operations and lunar-surface landing. Will launch unmanned, refuel in LEO, then ferry crew from a NASA Orion capsule to and from the lunar surface.
Notable Operators
- SpaceX
- Designer, builder, and sole operator. Launches from Boca Chica (Starbase), Texas. Will eventually launch from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A as well.
- NASA (Artemis customer)
- Contracted Starship HLS as the lunar-surface lander for Artemis III through Artemis VI under a USD$2.9 billion + USD$1.15 billion multi-mission contract. NASA astronauts will fly aboard Starship to the lunar surface starting with Artemis III (currently scheduled for 2027).
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is SpaceX Starship?
The full stack is 121 m (397 ft) tall — the tallest rocket ever flown, exceeding the Saturn V's 110.6 m. Diameter 9 m (29.5 ft). Liftoff thrust 74 MN — more than double the Saturn V's 35 MN. Designed payload to LEO: 100-150 tonnes fully reusable.
When will Starship carry humans?
The first crewed Starship flight is scheduled for the dearMoon private lunar-flyby mission (Yusaku Maezawa) and the NASA Artemis III lunar-landing mission (currently scheduled for 2027). Both missions require SpaceX to demonstrate Starship reliability across multiple uncrewed flights first.
How is Starship different from Falcon Heavy?
Starship is fully reusable on both stages; Falcon Heavy only reuses the boosters. Starship is much larger (100-150 t LEO vs. Falcon Heavy's 63.8 t). Starship uses methane fuel; Falcon Heavy uses kerosene. Starship will eventually replace Falcon Heavy as SpaceX's heavy-launch vehicle.
Has Starship reached orbit?
Yes — IFT-3 (14 March 2024) reached orbital velocity before Starship broke up during atmospheric entry. IFT-4 and subsequent flights have completed full mission profiles including Super Heavy chopstick-arm catch on IFT-5 (13 October 2024). As of 2026 Starship is in in-service ramp-up but not yet routinely commercial.
What will Starship do on Mars?
SpaceX's stated long-term goal: deliver 100-tonne cargo loads to the Martian surface to build up a permanent settlement. The first Mars-cargo Starships are targeted for the 2027-2028 launch windows. Crewed Mars missions follow no earlier than the 2030s. Starship can also serve Mars science missions (sample-return, instrument deployment) before any human flights.
Sources
See Also
- SpaceX Falcon Heavy — Smaller predecessor vehicle
- SpaceX Falcon 9 — SpaceX workhorse rocket
- Saturn V — Predecessor heavy-lift rocket
- Space Shuttle Orbiter — Earlier reusable U.S. spacecraft
- V-2 rocket — Original ancestor of all modern liquid-fuelled rockets