Readying for Launch: SpaceX Starship Super Heavy
Groundbreaking Starship mega-rocket, the Raptor 2 engine, and their potential impact on our journey to the Moon, Mars, and beyond
Elon Musk is a man of boundless ambition. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he seems to defy every limit put in front of him, always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. His latest endeavor is no exception. Musk wants to launch the world's biggest, most powerful rocket, and then use it to take humans to the moon and then Mars. After over 10 years of development, Musk announced SpaceX is ready to attempt the maiden flight of its Starship mega-rocket in March. But what is the Starship, and why is it such a big deal? In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the Starship, examining what it is, how it works, and what it could mean for the future of space travel.
The Tallest and Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built
At the height of about 390ft, Starship dwarfs other rockets. Engineers assemble the top and bottom parts of the rocket. Starship is around 394ft tall and 30ft wide. SpaceX.
The Starship is not just any rocket. At 394 feet, it is taller than any other operational heavy-lift launchers, including NASA's Saturn V and Space Launch System (SLS). Its massive size is a significant feat of engineering, and as Olivier de Weck, professor of aeronautics, astronautics, and engineering at MIT, notes, "A rocket that's twice as big is about eight times as challenging to build and test and fly than rocket half its size."
However, the Starship is not only the tallest rocket ever created, but also the most powerful. The rocket generates about 17 million pounds of thrust thanks to its booster, called "Super Heavy," which packs a real punch. The bottom part of the rocket contains 33 Raptor engines, each generating about 500,000 pounds of thrust. This is twice as powerful as NASA's SLS mega-rocket booster, which has 8.8 million pounds of thrust. The rocket should be able to lift up to 250 metric tonnes of payload into orbit, 150 if the rocket is used in its reusable form, according to the SpaceX website.
Reusable Rockets and the Future of Space Travel
Starship is designed to be reusable, meaning it should be able to come back to Earth intact, ready to be used again. Musk believes that reusable rockets are the future of space travel, allowing companies to cut down on costs and time with every launch. In 2021, SpaceX landed a reusable prototype of Starship successfully. The unmanned vehicle flew about 10km into the sky before coming back down and landing safely on a landing pad around six minutes after takeoff.
Musk has long touted the benefits of reusable rockets. In a tweet in 2018, he wrote, "Reusability is critical to making space travel affordable and accessible for humanity." The idea is simple: if a rocket can be reused, the cost of each launch goes down significantly, making space travel more accessible to more people. In addition, reusable rockets could reduce the amount of space debris in orbit, which is becoming an increasingly significant problem.
The Promise of Methalox
Starship's mammoth thrust comes down to SpaceX's Raptor engine, which uses a fuel called methalox, a combination of methane and oxygen, to push the rocket forward. This is a very different type of fuel from SpaceX's other rockets, which use a combination of kerosene and oxygen, or NASA's SLS rocket, which is fueled by oxygen and hydrogen.
Methane, as a molecule, contains a lot less carbon than kerosene, which means that burning methane makes a lot less soot than burning kerosene. This is important because soot buildup can cause problems in rocket engines, particularly when they are designed to be reusable. By using methane, SpaceX can avoid some of these issues and potentially extend the life of the engines. Methane is also more readily available on Mars, which is a key aspect of Musk's long-term vision for interplanetary travel.
Another benefit of using methalox is its higher specific impulse, which means that it can generate more thrust per unit of fuel. This makes the rocket more efficient and can lead to cost savings and increased payload capacity.
Going to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond
SpaceX has ambitious plans for its Starship rocket. The company has already won a $2.9 billion NASA contract to build a lunar version of the Starship called the Human Landing System (HLS). This vehicle will be used to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis program. The first crewed lunar landing using the Starship HLS is expected to take place in the mid-2020s.
But Musk's ultimate goal is even more audacious: sending humans to Mars. He envisions a future in which humans can live and work on the red planet, and he believes that Starship is the key to making that dream a reality. By developing a rocket that is reusable, powerful, and fueled by resources that can be found on Mars, SpaceX is laying the groundwork for a sustained human presence on the planet.
However, many challenges remain, including the development of life support systems, radiation protection, and propulsion technologies that can make the long journey to Mars feasible. But if there's one thing that Musk's career has shown, it's that he is not deterred by challenges.
The Potential Impact on the Space Industry
The successful development and launch of the Starship could have profound implications for the space industry. If SpaceX can prove that reusable rockets are not only possible but cost-effective, other companies and space agencies may be encouraged to follow suit. This could lead to a new era of space exploration, with more countries and private entities able to afford access to space.
In addition, the Starship's massive payload capacity could open up new possibilities for scientific research, satellite deployment, and even space tourism. The ability to send large quantities of cargo and people into space could pave the way for space-based manufacturing, asteroid mining, and the construction of large-scale space habitats.