Starship sets a record: spacecraft delivers 45 tons of payload to orbit

SpaceX has set a new record during the 12th flight of the Starship system. The rocket delivered approximately 45 tons of Starlink satellite mass simulators into orbit. This is the heaviest payload carried in a single flight since the Saturn V rocket launched the Skylab orbital station (77 tons) in 1973. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to information published by the Truthful account and confirmed by Elon Musk, this event is a significant milestone in the development of reusable astronautics. Starship is gradually approaching its main goal: becoming the highest payload capacity and most cost-effective delivery system in history.

For comparison, the Falcon Heavy rocket's payload capacity to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) can reach up to 63.8 tons, but only if the rocket stages are not recovered. The key difference of the Starship system is that all its elements are designed for full reusability.

Previously, it was reported that Starship successfully launched 20 Starlink simulators and two modified satellites adapted for imaging. Real satellites are expected to be launched in future flights, which will significantly accelerate the expansion of the global satellite network.