Liftoff!
The booster will accelerate the spaceship to a speed of about 5,375 miles per hour (8,650 km/h). When it exits Earth's atmosphere, the rocket booster will provide 138 meganewtons (31 million lbs.) of thrust. This is almost 4 times as much power as NASA's Saturn V rocket, which carried astronauts to the moon. You can read our full story here.
Under Pressure
The maximum speed at which the ITS can safely travel through Earth's atmosphere is 2,163 mph (3,480 km/h).You can read our full story here.
Rocket Detaches
The rocket detaches itself from the crew capsule in low-Earth orbit.You can read our full story here.
Stage Separation
Once the spacecraft has successfully launched, the rocket booster will separate from the crew capsule.You can read our full story here.
"Parking Orbit"
The launch vehicle then nudges itself into "parking orbit" around Earth. It will stay here temporarily until the time is right to dive in for a landing.You can read our full story here.
Earth-Bound Rocket
The reusable rocket will then head back down to Earth, where it will land safely and eventually lift off again.You can read our full story here.
Landing Back on the Launch Mount
The rocket will come in for an incredibly precise and upright landing, much like the Falcon 9 rocket landings SpaceX has demonstrated in the past. You can read our full story here.
New Propellant Tanker
A propellant tanker is loaded onto the spacecraft, which will then launch back into space.You can read our full story here.
SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System Refuel
SpaceX's Interplanetary Transport System calls for in-space refueling of its passenger colony ship, as seen in this artist's illustration. You can read our full story here.
Tanker Goes Home
After refueling, the tanker returns to Earth for a controlled landing.
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