That’s a general name SpaceX is using to describe a spacecraft, the Starship, and its carrier rocket, the Super Heavy booster. It’s a piece of hardware that is still in the development stages, but when it will become fully functional, it will probably change our perception of space exploration, but also the way we do it.

When completed assembly will be the “most powerful launch system ever developed.” The ship itself will powered by a total of six Raptor engines, while its rocket will rely on 33 of them. Each Raptor is capable of delivering 230 ton force of thrust.

Both pieces of hardware are fully reusable, meaning they will be able to conduct multiple flights in a relative short period of time.

SpaceX plans to use the Sparships first and foremost as a means to deliver cargo to Earth orbit and other locations in space for both paying private customers and space agencies.

The spacecraft alone was also selected by NASA to become the means of transport for the first human astronauts to lower themselves from orbit to the surface of the Moon during the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2026.

In the mid-term future, the Starship could also be used as a means of point-to-point transport on Earth, allowing people to reach any destination from any origin point in under 30 minutes. Ultimately, the Starship will be able to carry the first colonists to Mars (and who knows, maybe even beyond), as it will be scaled to be able to accommodate up to 100 people on long duration flights.

You’ve probably seen images of the Starship prototypes being tested before, because to date SpaceX has conducted 15 test launches of both a single-stage Starship and the orbital variant, each time trying to push things a bit further.

The company is currently preparing for yet another launch (flight five of the orbital version of the Starship), expected to take place within a few weeks from the time of writing. As if trying to get our attention on the launch, SpaceX released a short video that allows us to hear the incredible noise the Starship makes as it breaks through the sound barrier during the previous mission.

As you probably know by now, the Super Heavy has been designed to land itself after launching something into space. That means it comes back down to the surface and, when approaching its landing pad, it does so at supersonic speeds, generating sonic booms.

Such manifestations are common among military aircraft, but they can’t usually be experienced by humans on the ground in relation with a space launch, and it is this fact that makes this entire experience even more exciting.

Sonic booms are generated by the rapid change in air pressure created by something that moves faster than the speed of sound. Experiencing them is a bit tricky, because the force of a sonic boom is impacted by a large number of factors, including how big the object going supersonic is, its shape, and even its altitude. In fact, even weather has a say in the way a boom manifests itself.

Given how most rockets go up and they never come back down without destroying themselves, hence far away from human ears, a normal rocket launch is not usually accompanied by sonic booms that can be directly experienced. And even if it is, you can’t really hear the thundering noise to the fullest unless you’re located directly beneath the rocket’s flight path.

But, as said, the SpaceX rockets come back down to be used once more, and that allows the company to record the sonic booms for all of us to enjoy.

The return of a SpaceX rocket (or any reusable rocket, for that matter), generates a series of sonic booms that manifest themselves as a “double clap of thunder.” It’s something older space enthusiasts may be familiar with from the age of the Space Shuttle, as the same thing could be experienced upon its return.

SpaceX says that during the fourth flight of the Starship, the one that marked the system’s first-ever landing burn and splashdown, the sonic boom generated was much more powerful than the ones experienced during a normal Falcon rocket landing.

As expected, the strongest effects of the rocket returning were felt right around the pad, and they posed no dangers for the people and facilities in the area. But they still remain impressive manifestations of the modern-age space tech, and also a herald of “a rapidly reusable future in spaceflight to travel to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.” Don’t believe us? Just watch and listen to the video below.

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— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 29, 2024