Today, SpaceX to make the first test flight of its Starship spacecraft, the world's largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
The Starship comprises the Super Heavy rocket booster and the Starship spaceship, which houses cargo and people. This 120-metre-tall rocket will transport personnel and cargo to the Moon and Mars.
This specific launch has been in the works for over two decades. Musk first mentioned designs for a massive rocket designated "BFR" in 2005.
Though the vehicle's original blueprints have altered over time, its objective has remained the same — to land humans on other worlds. Furthermore, to realise Musk's dream of constructing a human settlement on Mars. The company's Starship rocket planned to send humans to the Moon and beyond one day.
If successful, it will be a significant step forward in space exploration and Musk's aim to transport humans to space. However, this SpaceX CEO believes the launch is as likely to fail as it is to succeed.
But first, it will do its maiden orbital test, soaring up from its launchpad in Texas and circumnavigating the globe.
Once completed, Starship will be the most powerful rocket ever built. It can generate 16.7 million pounds of thrust during liftoff and transport massive payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. With the capability of launching big satellites and large crews of spacefarers, its power and scale make it a vital aspect of SpaceX's future.
NASA intends to deploy the rocket as part of its effort to return to the Moon, having awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to assist the agency in this endeavour. In addition, unlike any previous rocket, Starship is planned to be reusable. According to SpaceX, this will make its operations very affordable. All of this adds up to a high-stakes debut of this spacecraft on Monday.
—Kritika Singhal
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