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2024 has been a big year for SpaceX and its “Starship” initiative. Most recently, Elon Musk and the powers-that-be at SpaceX celebrated a successful “soft landing” in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s big news for the company’s (and the world’s) tallest, most powerful rocket. However, the two-stage rocket also dethrones a hallowed bit of space exploration technology: the iconic Saturn V rocket.

The SpaceX Starship and the ‘Super Heavy’ booster system stands 31 feet taller than the legendary Saturn V that sent the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon

SpaceX has a lot of faith in the Starship. Frankly, founder and CEO Elon Musk sees the massive two-stage system as a means to establish human settlements on Martian soil. It’s an ambitious thought, and all of it rests on the success of the SpaceX Starship.

Well, the man behind Tesla and SpaceX shared the good news on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Successful soft landing of the Starship Super Heavy rocket booster!” Musk was understandably chuffed at the successful splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Check out the X post below to see the Starship make its watery landing despite some damage. 

However, beyond the success of its flight, the SpaceX Starship has another claim to fame. Quite simply, the towering two-stage rocket system dethroned what was previously the tallest (and one of the most powerful) rocket systems ever. I’m talking, of course, about the historic Saturn V rocket. 

Now, if that name sounds familiar, it’s because the brutish rocket system has a special footnote in one of the most watched moments in human history. That’s right; the Saturn V took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16th, 1969. Its mission? Deliver the Apollo 11 astronauts safely from the clutches of Earth’s gravity and on a trajectory to the moon.

A Saturn V rocket at a museum in Alabama alongside the highway.
A Saturn V at a museum in Alabama | James Deitsch via iStock

Still, even with such an important mission under its belt, the Saturn V exited service in 1973. However, the massive three-stage (although the last ones were two-stage) rocket was around 363 feet tall. It’s a height that went unchallenged by modern rockets like the Russian Soyuz system. That is, until the SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy combination started flying. The reusable two-stage SpaceX system stands at 394 feet tall, about 31 feet taller than the Starship and Super Heav, and over 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, per Business Insider.

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).