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Reusable superheavy-lift general-purpose launch vehicle
Starship is a two-stage, fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Currently built and launched from Starbase in Texas, it is intended as the successor to the company's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, and is part of SpaceX's broader reusable launch system development program. If completed as designed, Starship would be the first fully reusable orbital rocket and have the highest payload capacity of any launch vehicle to date. As of July 24, 2026, Starship has launched 13 times, with 8 successful flights and 5 failures.
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Third planet from the Sun
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is made possible by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its ocean, which covers 70.8% of Earth's crust. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's crust is land, which is predominantly located within Earth's land hemisphere in the form of continental landmasses.
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Starship’s heat shield is made of up of an array of ceramic tiles. Each is a small component, but together they have large consequences.