tech
Once again, SpaceX has set a new record for the tallest rocket ever built
SpaceX cleared an important milestone Monday on the road to launching a new version of Starship.
TL;DR
- SpaceX has stacked Starship Version 3, its tallest and most powerful rocket yet, in South Texas.
- Upgrades include higher-thrust Raptor engines, a new reusable structure for hot staging, and modified grid fins for booster recovery.
- Starship V3 is intended for in-orbit refueling experiments and future lunar missions for NASA's Artemis program.
- The launch is tentatively targeted for Tuesday, May 19th, following delays.
- This will be the 12th full-scale Starship test flight and the first from a new launch pad at Starbase.
- The upper stage is expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean, with future flights aiming for recovery by the launch tower.
- A more southerly flight path over the Gulf of Mexico will be used.
- Hardware for the rocket's self-destruct system needs installation, and an FAA launch license is still pending.