New Elon Musk Photo Shows Staggering Scale of Super Heavy Stack

It's drawing comparisons with another iconic photo.

Heavy Stack Assembled

Elon Musk tweeted out a photo of the SpaceX Super Heavy Stack being assembled on Friday that showcases the dizzyingly immense size of the rocket.

The photo itself depicts the Starship prototype 20 being lowered atop the Super Heavy booster at Boca Chica, Texas. Around it are engineers working on the rocket before Starship is completely lowered, giving you a true sense of the massive scale of the Super Heavy Stack. 

While the photo is impressive in its own right, it instantly drew comparisons to the iconic Lunch atop a Skyscraper photograph of construction workers taking a break across a steel girder high above New York City.

Skyscraper-Sized Rocket

When you include the orbital launch stand, the stack stands at a staggering 475 feet tall — easily making it as big as a skyscraper. It’s also the tallest rocket ever assembled, as reported by TechCrunch.

The Super Heavy Stack is a part of SpaceX’s plan to launch the first orbital test of its Starship platform. This is a crucial step in being able to send humans to the Moon as part of the Artemis project — and eventually, colonizing Mars. 

Ready for Lift-off?

If you’re wondering when you’re finally going to see the Super Heavy Stack takeoff, you’d be smart to dampen your expectations. 

The giant stack is slated to be disassembled for more tests before being reassembled again for its actual launch. The Federal Aviation Administration is also still conducting an environmental review before the approve (or deny) the test launch, according to CNBC. That process could potentially mean months of waiting. 

If and when it’s approved, though, it’ll mark a massive milestone for SpaceX and bring us all a big step forward to space colonization. 

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