SpaceX’s Starbase factory is already building multiple intentionally-expendable Starships. Ship 26 and Ship 27 feature no thermal protection, have no heat shield tiles, and will not be fitted with flaps, making them impossible to recover or reuse. These Starships will be able to test technologies like orbital refilling and cryogenic fluid management. A SpaceX Starship without all of the systems like spare fuel and landing gear needed for reusability would be able to carry 250 tons into orbit. This would be more than double the 118 tons into orbit from the Saturn V.
A fully optimized reusable SpaceX Super Heavy Starship could take 150 tons into orbit. This would still fully reuse all of the parts.
It took almost 60 Space Shuttle launches to bring up the pieces of the 420-ton International Space Station. Two single-use SpaceX Super Heavy Starships could be left in Space and bring more mass for a larger 500-ton Space Station. It would be best to use at least three SpaceX Super Heavy Starship to orbit. This would enable a central docking component and then two rotating Starship modules. The SpaceX Starships could be just left in orbit but attached with walkways to form an almost 1230-ton space station. Each of the Starships would have about 160 tons of dry mass and 250-ton payload.
With S26’s stacking now underway, we are getting ever closer to seeing this very bare Starship. However, while we aren’t done with these bare Ships yet, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. (1/8)
📸: @ChameleonCir pic.twitter.com/fDFT01cvsk
— The Ring Watchers (@RingWatchers) October 5, 2022
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
