Prelims – Current events of National and International importance| Science & Technology.
Why in News?
Recently, The Starship mega rocket lifts off on its 10th test flight from the SpaceX Starbase in Texas, August 26, 2025.
Starship spacecraft - It consists of two components of starship spacecraft and super heavy rocket, developed by the American corporation Space x.
It is the fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargoto Earth orbits, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Capacity - It is the World’s most powerful launch vehicle developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.
Technical highlights –It is 379 feet tall, powered by a formidable 33 Raptor engines, producing 16.5 million pounds of thrust—designed for ultra-heavy payloads and deep-space missions
Super Heavy Booster –It is the first stage or booster of the starship launch system powered by 33 raptor engines using sub cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen.
It is fully reusable and will re enter Earth atmosphere to land back at the launch site.
Raptor Engines – It is a methane oxygen staged combustion engine that powers the starship system and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merline engine.
