The spacecraft, named Starship, will sit atop a rocket called Super Heavy when launched. The combined system will be 120m (394ft) tall and will also be referred to as Starship. The spaceship is reminiscent of rocket ships from the golden age of sci-fi, with its stainless steel vehicle, nose cone, and landing fins.
Behind the 50 m (160 ft) long ship are six highly efficient Raptor engines developed by SpaceX over the past decade. Combustion takes place in stages, and the engine's design reduces the amount of fuel wasted. There are propellant tanks towards the middle of the vehicle. These supply the Raptors with liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (O2). Methane is fuel, and oxygen acts as an oxidizer, a chemical that causes fuel to burn. The combination is called a metal ox.
Fuel selection is unusual for rocket engines, but methane can produce plenty of thrusts. It's also a prudent choice in light of Musk's designs on Mars. The SpaceX founder says CH4 can be synthesized from Martian groundwater and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) using a chemical process known as the Sabatier reaction. Using Martian resources to refuel the Starship for its return journey to Earth will provide a level of self-sufficiency, making the journeys both more feasible and cost-effective. Towards the front of the spacecraft, sometimes referred to as the upper stage, is a massive payload compartment that can transport large cargo or humans to targets in deep space.
The rocket will be filled with 0m (230ft) long Super Heavy, cryogenic (chilled) metal ox. It will be powered by around 33 Raptor engines (this spec has changed several times) and will achieve a maximum thrust of over 70 Meganewtons (16 million lbs). It should be able to lift a payload of at least 100 tons and possibly up to 150 tons into low Earth orbit.
Reference:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55564448
