Hi, Vasiliy.
Thursday night was a big one, as SpaceX's Starship prototype briefly took flight at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. It was hard to make it out through all the smoke, but for a few seconds, the watertank-inspired rocket lifted off the launch pad powered by its methane-fueled Raptor engine, hovered for a few seconds and then landed gently.
It's hard to understand what's so special about this brief test, but when you consider the implications, it's hard not to get excited.
If this thing actually gets built, SpaceX will have built a true, fully reusable multi-stage rocket capable of blasting off, going to orbit, returning to Earth and then doing the whole thing all over again.
SpaceX actually has two of these things in construction, by two separate teams competing with different designs to solve all the challenges in front of them. No customer is funding their efforts, but again, if this thing flies, at the price point Elon Musk thinks it can do, paying for only the fuel, everyone will be their customer.
A full Mark 1 prototype is expected to fly in the next 2-3 months, and Musk claims we'll see the fully orbital vehicle fly next year. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks!
Fraser Cain
Publisher
Universe Today
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