starship spacex

Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

Watch: SpaceX’s Starship prototype takes first hop towards Mars [video]

SpaceX is now one step closer to reaching Mars. Watch the fifth Starship prototype successfully completing a hop test and landing in one piece.

starship spacex

Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

If you’ve been following the development of Starship prototypes, you’d be happy to know that the project achieved another major milestone this week. SpaceX is one step closer to reaching Mars. Or rather, 150 metres closer to Mars.

SpaceX’s Starship — What you need to know

First successful hop

This week, SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of Starship, its next-gen deep-space rocket. The “hop test” took place in Texas and the prototype flew approximately 150 metres before landing successfully.

A hop test is a controlled takeoff and landing, a technique also utilised to land Falcon 9 rockets on a drone ship after a flight, such as US astronauts Bob and Doug’s recent milestone space flight.

According to SpaceX, it’s the largest test version of the prototype in the Starship programme to successfully “hop” to that height (not including the Starhopper’s tests back in 2019).

Difference between Starship and Starhopper

Starhopper flew approximately 150 metres, but the prototype had a different shape than the current spacecraft. At the time, Elon Musk likened it to a water tower, whereas the current prototype is described as a grain silo.

Starship

Starhopper

The current prototype is the fifth in line of many more to follow. In fact, SpaceX is already working on a sixth prototype and confirmed that it is developing new vehicles every few months.

SpaceX is currently building Starship prototypes, which will eventually be used to transport people to the Moon and Mars. Once completed, the final spacecraft will stand approximately 120 metres high and 9 metres wide.

In addition, it will be capable of sending more than 90 000 kilograms of cargo into low-Earth orbit. To achieve that, the Starship spacecraft will be carried into space on a Super Heavy rocket booster, powered by a Raptor rocket engine.

Watch: Starship’s first hop towards Mars

To be clear, the Starship programme is still in its early stages, and this week’s hop test relied on only one Raptor engine mounted at the base of the prototype. The final Starship spacecraft will have six main Raptor engines.

That said, this week’s hop was a massive milestone for SpaceX. Prior to this, previous prototypes either exploded or burst into flames before even leaving the ground.

This prototype not only lifted 150 metres into the air, but it also survived and landed intact.

SpaceX Starship SN1
Starship prototype exploded during hop test in March 2020 /Image via Twitter: @SpacePadreIsle

Starship’s first crewed mission planned for 2023

The first version, Starhopper, was retired back in 2019 after completing its second and final untethered flight. Starhopper had only a single Raptor, which took the craft about 150 metres in the air before landing safely.

Once the final design of Starship is complete, Musk will be one step closer to sending humans to the Moon and to Mars, having said in the past that he is planning to send a crewed mission to the moon by 2023.