Superheavy-lift rockets like SpaceX’s Starship could transform astronomy by making space telescopes cheaper

NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin have all successfully launched superheavy-lift rockets. These massive vehicles are designed to carry a much heavier load.

By: Martin Elvis, Smithsonian Institution, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 9, 2026

Words: 1,170

Last Updated: 18 hours, 57 minutes ago

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By Martin Elvis, Smithsonian Institution

After a string of dramatic failures, the huge Starship rocket from SpaceX had a fully successful test on Oct. 13, 2025. A couple more test flights, and SpaceX plans to launch it into orbit.

A month later, a rival rocket company, Blue Origin, flew its almost-as-large New Glenn rocket all the way to orbit and sent spacecraft on their way to Mars.

While these successful …

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