SpaceX Breaks Its Own Record for Tallest Rocket Ever Built
▼ Summary
– SpaceX has stacked Starship Version 3, a taller and more powerful rocket, on a launch pad in South Texas.
– The upgraded Starship features higher-thrust Raptor engines, a new lattice structure for hot staging, and three modified grid fins.
– This version is intended to begin testing in-orbit refueling, a key step for missions to the Moon and beyond.
– SpaceX has not announced an official launch date, but maritime warnings now suggest a possible attempt on Tuesday, May 19.
– Ground crews fully stacked the 408-foot-tall Starship V3 for the first time on Saturday.
For the third consecutive year, SpaceX has assembled an upgraded Starship rocket on a launch pad in South Texas, just north of the US-Mexico border. This latest iteration, designated Starship Version 3, surpasses its predecessors in both height and power, setting a new record for the tallest rocket ever built.
Key upgrades include higher-thrust, more efficient Raptor engines on both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. A new reusable lattice structure at the top of the booster facilitates hot staging, while three modified grid fins , down from four , aid in recovering and reusing the first stage. These refinements are critical for advancing SpaceX’s ambitions.
If all proceeds as planned, Starship V3 will be the platform for in-orbit refueling experiments, a capability essential for missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Mastering this technology will enable Starships to serve as landers for NASA’s Artemis program, delivering astronauts to the Moon. While Starship remains an iterative development project with future versions already in the works, V3 represents a shift from merely proving flight capability to operational use in space.
However, SpaceX must first demonstrate that Starship V3 can successfully reach orbit and return. The company has not yet announced an official launch date. Airspace and maritime warnings over the past few days pointed to a possible liftoff as early as Friday evening from the Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas. But a day-and-a-half delay in launch preparations over the weekend pushed that timeline back.
Updated maritime notices issued late Monday now indicate a target launch attempt on Tuesday, May 19.
Final assembly at Starbase occurred Saturday, when ground crews lifted the Starship upper stage atop the Super Heavy booster for the first time. Standing 408 feet (124 meters) tall, the fully stacked rocket is several feet taller than its predecessor, marking another milestone in SpaceX’s relentless pursuit of reusability and deep-space exploration.
(Source: Ars Technica)
