Coming up on July 16 (time currently unconfirmed), SpaceX will be performing a hop test[1] of their SN5 Starship at Boca Chica, Texas![2] The modern-day space shuttle will be hopping to an altitude of 150 meters to verify the launch and landing performance of Starship.[1]
The Rocket
At 120 meters tall with a diameter of 9 meters, “SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit.” [3]
Without the super heavy booster, Starship comes in at 50 meters in height and a has a propellant capacity of 1200 tons! The 70 meter super heavy booster produces 72 mega newtons of thrust with its 2400 ton propellant capacity. [3]
The Engine
“The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown.” Raptor has a diameter of 1.3 meters and a height of 3.1 meters, producing 2 mega newtons of thrust. [3]
Header image: Teslarati. (2020, May). [Starship Super Heavy launch render May 2020 (SpaceX) 1 (c)]. Teslarati. https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-factory-mass-production-speed/starship-super-heavy-launch-render-may-2020-spacex-1-c/
Starship image: Teslarati. (2020). [Depiction of Starship and it’s Super Heavy booster]. Teslarati. https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Starship-Super-Heavy-2019-SpaceX-overview-1.png
1: Spaced Company. (2020). Space launches — Spaced. Retrieved July 13, 2020, from https://www.spacedcompany.com/space-launches
2: TheSpaceXFans. (2020, July 8). SpaceX Starship updates! SN5 static fire soon & other SpaceX news! TheSpaceXShow [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGJwOfQQuPI
3: hSpaceX. (2020). Starship. Retrieved July 13, 2020, from https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/
Project Starman 
