Elon Musk shares a new Starship photo and it's like something from a movie

By Brittany Roston/

SpaceX's massive Starship prototypes are the subject of a new photo from Elon Musk, and they look like something you'd see in a Hollywood sci-fi movie. The shiny silo-like spacecraft are surrounded by people and vehicles, making it easier to put the sheer size of the Starship into perspective.

The image showcases the Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes. According to SpaceX, it will conduct its second high-altitude suborbital flight test of one of its Starship prototypes in the coming days. The test will involve the Starship SN9 shown in the recently shared image:

The private space company says this upcoming launch, which is scheduled to take place on February 1, will be 'similar to' the high-altitude flight test that took place with the Starship SN8. A trio of Raptor engines will power the Starship prototype during its ascent, SpaceX explains on its website, before shutting down when the spacecraft reaches an altitude of around six miles.

The launch will involve a 'controlled aerodynamic descent' using the prototype's various on-board systems. SpaceX plans to live stream the flight test on its website starting shortly before liftoff takes place — you'll want to keep an eye on the company's Twitter account for any changes in its plans.

Starship will (hopefully) play an important role in future space travel, with SpaceX noting that it will one day be used to carry cargo and astronauts to various celestial destinations, including Mars and, possibly, even 'beyond' that lofty goal.

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