The Future of Space Exploration: The Starship Revolution
SpaceX made a significant stride towards the full reusability of space launchers on October 13, paving the way for more affordable, frequent, and large payload space access. The company's fifth test flight of the Starship launcher was a resounding success, with the rocket's 300-ton first stage, Super Heavy, spectacularly recovered by the launch pad gantry. The second stage, also known as Starship, achieved near-orbital velocity and landed precisely in the targeted Indian Ocean location off Western Australia. This achievement brings SpaceX closer to landing second stages for reuse.
Impact of Full Reusability
The full reusability of Starship will dramatically decrease launch costs, making new types of space activities more affordable and technologically feasible. While most of these applications are civilian, potential military uses include cheaper and more frequent launches of surveillance and other satellites, and even urgent delivery of large payloads across Earth with suborbital flights.
Once SpaceX achieves the capability for one Starship to refuel from others in orbit, a single mission will be able to deliver up to 100 metric tons or 100 people to the Moon, Mars, and potentially beyond.
Cost Comparison
The cost of launch is a crucial factor. Currently, only the first stage of SpaceX’s Falcon launcher returns for reuse, yet it has already reduced launch costs from the U.S.$25,000 per kg paid for NASA Space Shuttle flights to U.S.$2720 per kg. The total cost of a Falcon launch is about U.S.$67 million.
With Starship, since no hardware will be lost during a flight, the only costs will be fuel, maintenance, and use of the pad. This could result in a future Starship version costing U.S.$10 million or less per launch, and according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, eventually U.S.$2 million to U.S.$3 million. This suggests a launch cost of U.S.$100 to U.S.$200 per kg.
In contrast, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rockets, which will be fully expended on each mission except for their Orion crew capsules, will initially cost U.S.$4 billion per launch and may end up around U.S.$2.5 billion. NASA plans to launch only one SLS per year, at best.
Starship's Capacity and Frequency
Starship’s large capacity will enable it to launch numerous satellites on each mission, further reducing cost and rapidly deploying mega constellations such as Starlink. It could also carry very large payloads into orbit—up to 200 metric tons in a future version of Starship.
At its Boca Chica launch site in Texas, SpaceX is establishing the Starfactory, an assembly line that will be able to build a Starship a week, up from three a year currently. With two more launch sites at Cape Canaveral, there is a suggestion of up to 44 flights a year from this location. Including the launch facilities at Boca Chica, the launch rate could exceed that of Falcon 9, which is currently one every 2.7 days.
New Opportunities for Space Exploration
Low cost, high payload to orbit, and a fast launch cadence open up new opportunities for radically different purposes, particularly when in-orbit refueling is proven.
Starship's most critical role is supporting NASA’s Artemis program to return humans to the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. SpaceX is developing a special lunar-landing version of Starship. Musk has suggested flying uncrewed Starships to Mars by 2026, and potentially crewed missions there by 2028, with his goal being the establishment of a permanent human presence on the planet’s surface.
Low-cost launches by Starship could also support a permanent human presence on the Moon that could then establish an in-space economy and manufacturing capability based on the use of lunar resources. All indications are that the Moon has substantial ice deposits in its regolith around the south pole, where humans will land first. If the water can be used for a base and in making rocket fuel for Starship launches from weak lunar gravity, the Moon will become a launch pad for exploration and resource exploitation across the inner solar system.
The Future of Space Exploration
The establishment of a permanent human base on the Moon, and the utilization of lunar resources opens up the next step in human space activities. This will include construction of large space-based solar power satellites that could solve much of Earth’s energy challenges for the 21st century and beyond. Another option will be large commercial space platforms to replace the International Space Station at the end of its life in 2030. Robotic space manufacturing using lunar resources and 3D printing would create the possibility of an in-space industry that could foster technological innovation in the 2030s and 2040s.
Starship’s promise of low-cost and frequent space access opens up this new golden era of space exploration and resource exploitation.
Bottom Line
The Starship revolution promises a future where space exploration and resource exploitation become more accessible and affordable. As we stand on the precipice of this new era, it's exciting to consider the potential advancements and discoveries that lie ahead. What are your thoughts on this development? Do you think SpaceX's Starship will revolutionize space exploration as we know it? Share this article with your friends and join the conversation. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, delivered every day at 6pm.
The Future of Space Exploration: The Starship Revolution
SpaceX made a significant stride towards the full reusability of space launchers on October 13, paving the way for more affordable, frequent, and large payload space access. The company's fifth test flight of the Starship launcher was a resounding success, with the rocket's 300-ton first stage, Super Heavy, spectacularly recovered by the launch pad gantry. The second stage, also known as Starship, achieved near-orbital velocity and landed precisely in the targeted Indian Ocean location off Western Australia. This achievement brings SpaceX closer to landing second stages for reuse.
