Starship Launch
SpaceX has set a record with the 12th launch of Starship. The rocket carried approximately 45 tons of mass simulators for Starlink satellites into orbit. This is the heaviest payload delivered to space in a single launch since 1973, when the Saturn V rocket carried the Skylab space station (77 tons) into orbit.
Context and Background
According to information shared by the Truthful account and later reposted by Elon Musk, this event is a significant milestone in the development of reusable space technology. Starship is gradually approaching its main goal of becoming the most cargo-capable and cost-effective payload delivery system in history.
Technical Details
For comparison, the Falcon Heavy rocket has a payload capacity of up to 63.8 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) if the rocket stages are not recovered, and up to 26.7 tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). However, Starship is fundamentally different in that all its elements are fully reusable.
Industry Impact
Previously, it was reported that Starship released all 20 Starlink satellite simulators, as well as two modified Starlink satellites specifically adapted for filming. Future flights will likely include real satellites, which will radically accelerate the deployment of the global satellite network.