Elon Musk / SpaceX
Earlier today, Elon Musk posted this great pic of the SpaceX hopper—the test version of its Starship rocket—after assembly on it was recently completed at his company's launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. Just like the hopper here, the actual Starship (which will launch on the Super Heavy...formerly known as the Big Falcon Rocket) will be comprised of stainless steel instead of composite materials. The reason for this being that stainless steel can withstand much higher temperatures during atmospheric re-entry than composites could. Also, stainless steel is much cheaper to produce.
The SpaceX hopper—a successor to the Grasshopper booster that paved the way for Falcon 9's 33 successful landing attempts since late 2015—should begin flights (to an initial altitude of around 16,000 feet) no earlier than this Spring. The hopper will soar into the air using three methane-fueled Raptor engines...which will also power Starship and its Super Heavy booster to Mars and beyond.
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