Starship: A Race to the Moon
SpaceX's Starship to Launch in June
World's Most Powerful Launch Vehicle to Test Abilities
SpaceX has announced a June 5 launch date for its next Starship integrated test flight, with a focus on demonstrating its ability to land propulsively on the Moon.
WEB Starship is the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable to orbit.
As of May 2024, it is the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown, surpassing the Saturn V rocket used for the Apollo missions to the Moon.
SpaceX aims to launch Starship again in early June to test its ability to land propulsively on the Moon. The company has set a June 5 launch date for the flight, which will take place from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
WEB Starship has flown three times to date, with the most recent flight taking place in April 2023. During that flight, the Starship prototype successfully reached orbit but failed to land propulsively, instead splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX has since made a number of modifications to the Starship prototype, including adding a new heat shield and improving the vehicle's control systems. The company is confident that the Starship is now ready to attempt a propulsive landing on the Moon.
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