Revised, Post-launch Report On SpaceX Starship Now Available For Download
Last month, SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket anyone has ever built, took off. Its flight was shortlived before ending in an explosion, but it did provide a basic demonstration of the SpaceX Starship architecture. To be certain, basic parts of the launch infrastructure need to be rethought, and the vehicle’s design needs to be tweaked. That said, SpaceX seems to be on a clear path toward making the Starship system operational. NewSpace Global has updated a recently released report to include an assessment of what happened during the first flight of Starship and the road ahead for SpaceX. You can download the updated report here: starshipreport.com.
As noted when the report was first released, reusable rockets and spacecraft that could launch to space, return to Earth, and fly again with minimal refurbishment, providing safe, routine, frequent, and affordable access to space, have been the dream of space advocates for decades. In short, spacecraft and boosters with airplane-like operations would open up space to a broad range of activities.
Once operational, SpaceX’s Starship will provide whole new capabilities, including the routine delivery of very heavy and voluminous payloads to orbit, fast turnaround, in-space propellant transfer and storage, and the ability to land on and return from celestial bodies. NASA has designated Starship as the vehicle to return astronauts to the lunar surface under the space agency’s Artemis program.
While Mars may be Elon Musk’s obsession, a fleet of Starships could open the floodgates to exploration and development throughout cislunar space, the asteroid belt, and beyond. The words paradigm shift and game changer are used so often that they have become cliches but, in this case, they could be justified. Starship could render every other launch vehicle in the world obsolete. It could make SpaceX dominant in space and give the United States a significant lead in a growing rivalry with China for dominance on the final frontier.
Want to learn more? NewSpaceGlobal’s new report, complete with a post-launch addendum, “SpaceX Starship: Design, Development and Commercial Prospects” reviews the progress made so far, existing and new markets that operational Starships can serve, and the many challenges ahead. Download it now at starshipreport.com
