Starship Exploded Flashcards
NEWS
Recently, SpaceX launched an uncrewed test flight of its Starship cruise vessel from the Super Heavy rocket. However, the vehicle exploded when the upper-stage Starship failed to separate from the lower-stage Super Heavy.
SpaceX is a private company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
What is the Starship Project?
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Starship will be able to carry up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.
Starship Super Heavy is powered by an array of Raptor engines, which are fueled by liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
A total of 33 Raptor engines power the first-stage booster.
It leverages tanker vehicles (essentially the Starship spacecraft minus the windows) to refill the Starship spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.
Development and manufacturing of Starship takes place at Starbase, one of the world’s first commercial spaceports designed for orbital missions.
What are the other Major Projects of Space X?
Falcon 9:
Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.
Falcon Heavy:
SpaceX claims Falcon Heavy to be the most powerful rocket in the world by a factor of two.
It is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
Merlin engines use a rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle.
Starlink and Starshield:
Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet across the globe.
Its high-speed, low-latency service is made possible via the world’s largest constellation of highly advanced satellites operating in a low orbit around the Earth.
Starshield leverages Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts.
While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use.
