SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a photo on Friday featuring the last four V1 Starships at Starbase.
What Happened: The image showcases the four Starships representing the final iteration of V1. SpaceX initially presented the V1.0 prototype of the Starship in 2020. Although various Starship prototypes have been constructed previously, the V1 prototype was specifically designed for an orbit test flight.
The upcoming version of the Starship is expected to be equipped with next-gen Raptor engines, anticipated to surpass the current technology, according to Musk’s recent statement on X (formerly Twitter).
"I’m very excited about the next-gen Raptor engine that is robust enough not to require a heat shield," Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this week. The new generation Raptor engine will have more thrust, amongst several other improvements, he added.
Why It Matters: SpaceX’s Starship is a pivotal element in Musk’s vision of landing humans on the Moon and Mars.
The Starship had its second liftoff on Saturday, successfully navigating stage separation. However, the booster experienced an explosion shortly afterward, and the spacecraft lost contact with SpaceX after reaching an altitude of nearly 150 kilometers.
Unfortunately, it failed to fulfill the test launch’s ultimate goal of a round-trip flight to space with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
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