The World’s Largest Rocket Is About to Get even Bigger
SpaceX‘s Starship, โฃcurrently the world’s โlargest rocket, is poised for a โคsignificant upgrade withโข the upcoming Version 3, set โฃto debut in 2026. The latest iteration, Version 2, concluded its nearly two-year testing phase with โคaโ successful โฃ11thโข suborbital flight on October 13th, marking a โhigh note forโฃ the program before transitioning to the next generation.
Version 3 will be approximately 5 feet (1.5 โmeters) taller than its โคpredecessor and boast increased propellant capacity. crucially, the upgraded vehicle will utilize more efficient, third-generation Raptor engines,โ enhancing its โoverall performance. These improvements areโค designed to enable starship to carry payloads to orbit and ultimately support missions to the โMoon and Mars.
The recent suborbital โคtest flight served as a crucial stepping stone, demonstratingโ key capabilities in readiness for orbital launches. During the โflight,SpaceX deployed โฃeight Starlink simulators,furthering โin-flightโฃ exhibition โobjectives. โฃthisโ success followed a period of earlier setbacks in 2024, highlighting the iterativeโ nature of rocket development.
SpaceX is actively building multiple Version 3 vehicles, preparing them for a rigorous testing schedule.โ The company โคintends to use the upgraded Starship for orbital flights, operational payload delivery,โข andโ the critical process of in-orbit propellant transfer โค- refueling the vehicle in space. โฃnew docking adapters are being integrated into the designโ to facilitate this โship-to-ship refueling capability, a core element for extending mission durations and reaching โขdestinations beyond low โEarth orbit.
According โto SpaceX spokespersonโข Dan Huot, Version 3 will also incorporate significant upgrades to energy storage and avionics systems, further enabling longer-duration missions. While acknowledging the extensive redesign,SpaceX founder Elon Musk hasโ cautioned that the new โฃversion “might โคhave some initialโ teething pains”โ as the team works through the complexities of theโ updated system.
Despite previous ambitionsโ for an uncrewed Marsโฃ mission within the next launch window, the timelineโข remains uncertain as the focus โshifts toโ perfecting the orbital flight profile of the considerably upgraded Starship Version 3.