Once again, SpaceX has set a new record for the tallest rocket ever built

Source: Ars Technica

Fueling and Test Firing

On Monday, SpaceX’s launch team loaded more than 11 million lb (over 5,000 metric tons) of super‑cold methane and liquid oxygen into both stages of the rocket after halting a previous fueling attempt Saturday night due to a technical issue. The launch rehearsal followed a test‑firing of the booster’s 33 Raptor engines at the launch site on May 6, the first time SpaceX ignited a full complement of uprated Raptor 3s.

Thrust and Scale

At liftoff, the rocket is expected to produce about 18 million lb of thrust—roughly 10 % more than the previous generation of Super Heavy boosters, according to specifications previously released by SpaceX. The scale is staggering: in Version 3, the internal transfer tube that channels methane fuel from the top of the booster to the engine compartment is about the same size as the first stage of SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, roughly 12 ft (3.7 m) in diameter.

Launch Pad and Test Flight

The upcoming flight will be the first liftoff from a new launch pad at Starbase, located about 1,000 ft (300 m) west of the departure point for all prior Starship test flights. This will be the 12th full‑scale Starship test flight and the first since last October, after delays in readying V3 for its first launch.

Mission Profile

Like most prior Starship flights, the upper stage will target a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean a little more than an hour into the mission. On future flights of Starship V3, SpaceX plans to bring the ship back to Starbase for a catch by the launch tower’s mechanical arms, as the company has already demonstrated with the rocket’s massive Super Heavy booster.

Flight Path Change

One change for this launch is a more southerly flight path over the Gulf of Mexico, taking the rocket between the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula and the western tip of Cuba, instead of over the Florida Straits.

Remaining Tasks

Before Starship V3 is ready to fly, SpaceX must install hardware for the rocket’s self‑destruct system—pyrotechnics that would blow up the vehicle if it deviated from its flight plan. This will require the removal of the ship from the booster. A launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration is still pending.