elon musk: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offers a glimpse of Starship test flight rocket
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offers a glimpse of Starship test flight rocketSpaceX CEO Elon Musk offers a glimpse of Starship test flight rocketSpaceX CEO Elon Musk has for the first time offered a glimpse of the company’s Starship test flight rocket, dubbed the “Hopper”.IANSJan 11, 2019, 07:04PM IST
SAN FRANCISCO: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has for the first time offered a glimpse of the company’s Starship test flight rocket, dubbed the “Hopper”.
“Starship test flight rocket just finished assembly at the @SpaceX Texas launch site. This is an actual picture, not a rendering,” Musk tweeted, while posting an image of the vehicle on Thursday.
Starship test flight rocket just finished assembly at the @SpaceX Texas launch site. This is an actual picture, not… https://t.co/YIl2NlwTHZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 1547177500000
The Starship vehicle was formerly known as the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), a fully reusable vehicle designed to take humans and supplies to Mars and also to dramatically cut travel time within Earth.
This two-stage vehicle — composed of a Booster and a Ship — is designed to eventually replace the company’s Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and the Dragon spacecraft.
Starship Hopper will do vertical flight tests similar to the Falcon 9 Hopper https://t.co/5dCrGFqymR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 1547181099000
It is designed to service all Earth orbit needs as well as the Moon and Mars.
The Starship Hopper that Musk showcased will do suborbital vertical flight tests similar to the Falcon 9 Hopper back in 2013.
“Orbital version is taller, has thicker skins (won’t wrinkle) & a smoothly curving nose section,” he added.
Musk said the company should have its first orbital prototype by June, Mashable.com reported.