April 20th marked two years since I saw a Starship launch in person.
It was the very first integrated test flight of the full stack, lifting off on April 20, 2023.
I traveled down to South Texas just for this. The launch site, called Starbase, is right near Boca Chica Beach. SpaceX is building this giant rocket there.
It’s hard to grasp just how big Starship is – when stacked, the booster and ship stand taller than the Statue of Liberty, One thing that makes Starship look different is that it’s built primarily out of stainless steel.
A key goal for SpaceX is making both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft fully reusable, able to land back on Earth and fly again.
This first flight was a huge test for the whole system – the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft combined.
Seeing that massive rocket actually leave the launch pad was truly unforgettable. The Super Heavy booster alone has 33 powerful Raptor engines grouped together at its base. The power was incredible!
That first launch attempt made Starship the most powerful rocket ever to lift off from Earth.
I definitely can’t wait to see another Starship launch hopefully soon! Let me know if you are planning to go see one too.