SpaceX faces Starship hurdles to retire Falcon 9

SpaceX's Starship rocket has become central to the company's valuation, serving as the planned backbone for Starlink satellite deployments, future space-based AI data centers, and missions to the moon and Mars. However, realizing an economically viable reusable rocket depends on overcoming significant engineering hurdles, including safely igniting 33 Raptor engines, preventing structural damage during launch, protecting the spacecraft with robust heat shields during atmospheric reentry, and executing complex orbital refueling. Open article →