By Igor Levchenko, Nanyang Technological University, and Kateryna Bazaka, Australian National University
When it comes to rockets, Starship, one of the most ambitious SpaceX projects to date, certainly packs a punch. With more than 100 tonnes of payload and scheduled for orbital testing as soon as 2022, this gigantic, fully reusable system is designed to one day help humans colonise Mars.
Much closer to home, it may help SpaceX rapidly assemble constellations of small commercial satellites. SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are already providing high-speed internet to remote locations. Starship will deliver satellites to orbit at a substantially lower cost. Capable of carrying about 400 Starlink satellites at once, it will cost an estimated US$2-10 million per launch. To compare, a partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket launches about 50 Starlink satellites at a cost of about US$50 million. Even with the possibility of setbacks, it’s very likely that Starship or a similar system will soon be delivering large numbers of satellites to orbit.
