Musk’s moonshot

TEXAS, USA, 11 NOVEMBER

SpaceX unveiled the Starship – a prototype reusable spacecraft – at its Texas launch facility in 2019. SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated his ambition for the vessel to carry crews of up to 100 astronauts first to the Moon, and then to Mars and beyond. In November this year, the craft was exposed to further testing, including the firing of its engines, ahead of undertaking a test flight.

The Starship spacecraft has been designed to carry passengers or cargo, such as satellites, into orbit depending on the mission. It’s the second stage of a launch system that will sit on top of a Super Heavy booster stage for launch.

The first private Starship passenger, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, is pencilled in for a trip around the Moon and back in 2023.