Exploring Starship: SpaceX’s unique spacecraft
Starship’s cutting-edge design and multi-purpose abilities has the potential to change space exploration as we know it.
SpaceX's Starship is fueled before its launch was delayed at the company's Boca Chica launchpad on an orbital test mission near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 17, 2023.
After an unsuccessful attempt, the first and the most unique spacecraft Starship is scheduled to take-off from the Starbase facility, located in Boca Chica, Texas.
The gigantic rocket's planned liftoff Monday (1328 GMT) was aborted less than 10 minutes before the scheduled launch, due to a pressurization issue in the first-stage booster.
SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, tweeted that his scientific team is working around the clock. "Maybe 4/20, maybe not," he said.
Teams continue working towards Thursday, April 20 for the first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket → https://t.co/30pJlZmrTQ pic.twitter.com/YwSuNdAR3o
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 19, 2023
What is its purpose?
There are several versions of the Starship, each designed for different purposes.
Starship spacecraft is seen to play an important role in NASA’s Artemis 3 program that aims to reestablish a human presence on the Moon. The last human landing on the rock body was in 1972.
Now pursuing a similar end, NASA awarded SpaceX with a $2.89bn contract to develop Starship into a lander, which will transport astronauts to the Moon.
Elon Musk believes humankind will face extinction if it stays forever on Earth. The SpaceX founder’s aim is to help facilitate human migration from Earth to other planets.
“The alternative is to become a spacefaring civilization and a multi-planet species, which I hope you would agree is the right way to go,” Musk said in a 2016 speech.
He also believes in building cities on Mars and that more people should migrate to the distant plant, where they would be self-sustaining.
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A diagram showing how SpaceX's first Starship orbital launch will work
What is the spacecraft’s capacity?
The Starship will not entirely reach the orbit of or land on the Moon.
It’s estimated the spacecraft will fly for 90 minutes before descending into sea.
According to SpaceX, the Starship is capable of carrying up to 150 metric reusable and 250 metric expendable tonnes.
The Starship’s debut flight will not have human passengers.
Musk aims to design Starship with around 40 cabins in the payload area, near the front of the upper stage. Each cabin will accommodate up to six people.
Though this technically allows Starship to carry 240 passengers, Musk plans to reduce that number to 100—limiting each cabin to two or three passengers while allowing for greater room and comfort in the spacecraft.
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SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
What competitors will do
Besides Starship, several other new rockets are expected to launch for space exploration.
Blue Origin, owned by one of the world’s richest persons, Jeff Bezos, is preparing for the first orbital launch of the New Glenn rocket. It will take place in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The rocket is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. NASA intends to use New Glenn to send a pair of spacecrafts to Mars in 2024.
United Launch Alliance, another space company, expects its new Vulcan rocket to launch later this year, carrying a private lunar lander to the moon at NASA's request.
Arianespace, a European space company, is conducting its final preparation to launch its new and upgraded Ariane 6 rocket, from French Guiana, South America and also this year.
Finally, NASA's Space Launch System moon rocket, designed to carry astronauts, will continue to evolve and grow in size.
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Starship is the biggest and mightiest rocket ever built, jutting almost 400 feet into the South Texas sky.
Starship's distinguishing features
The most important part of Starship is how it significantly differs from traditional spacecrafts. The ship, unlike its traditional counterparts, is able not only to transfer astronauts and cargo. It is also, according to SpaceX, able to do so while reaching the respective distances of Moon and Mars.
Moreover Starship is not a single-use spacecraft. Its durable hardware components enable it to be reused multiple times. This reduces the cost of travel and minimizes debris left in space.
Its Raptor engine is powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. This allows Starship to go faster and extend its travel range. It will use 31 engines — the largest number of simultaneous engine ignition in history.
The take-off of Starship will be the first test of the rocket in flight and of Super Heavy, the 120-metre (395 feet) tall tower that will boost the rocket itself.
Starship’s overall design is equipped for multi-purpose missions, allowing it to potentially undertake a wide range of space and other science-related explorations.