Starship Mankind’s Interplanetary Vehicle
Unless you have been extremely busy, you must have heard of SpaceX’s Starship fully assembled test flight. Despite the fact that the test did not go as planned, there are good lessons to take from it. It is important to notice that such an event is still a landmark for humanity, regarding its goal of becoming a multi-planetary species.
The Founder, CEO and Chief Engineer Elon Musk and his whole team at SpaceX deserve our congratulations and encouragement for what they are doing. They are truly changing the course of mankind’s future for the best by getting us closer to interplanetary travel. As a scientist and engineer myself, highly interested in the Space industry, I can assure you that this is a tremendous endeavour Elon and his team are pulling off. I would go ahead and congratulate also all the investors behind SpaceX for the noble work they are doing.
The Starship itself
Now, if this is the first time you hear about SpaceX’s Starship, worry not, as we got you covered with some introduction about it. Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed and developed by SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer founded by Elon Musk. The Starship spacecraft is intended to be used for a wide range of missions, including crewed spaceflight, cargo transportation, and even interplanetary exploration.
In terms of construction, the Starship is being developed in two parts: the spacecraft itself, which is the upper stage, and the Super Heavy booster, which is the lower stage. The spacecraft and the booster (i.e. Starship) will be powered by Raptor engines, a type of rocket engine also developed by SpaceX.
The spacecraft has a stainless-steel construction, which is designed to make it durable and reusable. The spacecraft is also equipped with a heat shield to protect it during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, more about it later.
The Starship is intended to be a versatile and adaptable spacecraft that can be used for a variety of missions, including launching satellites, servicing the International Space Station, carrying humans to the Moon and Mars, and even for point-to-point travel on Earth.
Starship historical milestones
The Starship has been built rapidly when compared to other space rockets of similar magnitude. Below is a short presentation of the historical and most significant milestones during the construction and development of the SpaceX Starship program so far:
2012 – SpaceX announces plans to develop a reusable spacecraft that can carry both crew and cargo to space.
2014 – SpaceX begins testing the Raptor engine, which is the rocket engine that powers the Starship spacecraft.
2016 – SpaceX begins developing the Starship spacecraft, originally called the “Mars Colonial Transporter.”
2017 – SpaceX announces a revised design for the Starship, which includes a stainless-steel construction.
2019 – The first full-scale Starship prototype, called Starship Mk1, is completed and undergoes a series of tests at SpaceX’s facilities in Texas.
2020 – Multiple Starship prototypes undergo testing, including the Starship SN8 prototype, which makes a high-altitude test flight but crashes during landing.
2021 – The Starship SN15 prototype successfully completes a high-altitude test flight and landing, marking the first time a Starship prototype has successfully landed after a high-altitude flight.
2022 – The Starship program continues with testing and development of the spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster, with the goal of eventually launching crewed missions to space.
2023 – Fully assembled Starship at Boca Chica yesterday 20th April 2023
This development and milestones were not achieved without peril. For example, in December 2020, SpaceX conducted the first high-altitude test flight of the Starship prototype, called SN8. The spacecraft was launched from the company’s test site in Boca Chica, Texas, and flew to an altitude of approximately 12.5 km before performing a controlled descent and landing back at the launch site. This test was designed to demonstrate the Starship’s ability to perform a high-altitude flight and to test its aerodynamic stability and control systems. But as mentioned it crashed.
In February 2021, SpaceX conducted a second high-altitude test flight of the Starship prototype, called SN9. This flight followed a similar trajectory to the SN8 flight, with the spacecraft reaching an altitude of approximately 10 km before performing a controlled descent and landing attempt. However, this flight was not successful, and the Starship prototype exploded upon landing.
In May 2021, SpaceX conducted a third high-altitude test flight of the Starship prototype, called SN15. This flight was also similar to the previous flights, with the spacecraft reaching an altitude of approximately 10 km before performing a controlled descent and landing attempt. However, this flight was successful, with the Starship prototype landing safely back at the launch site.
April 20th, 2023, the flight test was also a milestone in the sense that the fully assembled Starship cleared the pad and flew to the point of separation where it fails to detach. From there, it was ordered to activate the self-destruction system (RUD – Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly).
There are several arguments as to what may be the cause of the failure or failures. For example, Scott Manley points out various possible causes such as the concrete from the launch pad, maybe the reason behind the lateral side-by-side engines, and the same concrete debris that created a large plum of dust may have damaged some important functional equipment.
He also points out that the time of lift-off seemed slightly off by -2 seconds, and a few concerns about the hydraulic pressure and MaxQ being reached later than supposed to as well as the vehicle angle deviation from the optimal trajectory. As the Starship gained altitude systematic failures were observed, with 5 engines out of 33 shutting down. Images of the concrete pad clearly illustrate a significant amount of damage that may indeed justify some of Manley assumptions.
But there is one thing SpaceX has shown us time and again, it is that they are focused on the main goal and setbacks are opportunities to learn and improve, not failure in a demoralizing manner. It is worth noting that the Starship program is still in development, and there may be additional milestones and breakthroughs in the near future.
Starship materials are behind the extraordinary efficiency
The SpaceX Starship spacecraft is made of a type of stainless steel known as 301 stainless steel, which is an austenitic stainless steel alloy that contains around 18% chromium and 8% nickel. The use of stainless steel for the Starship is a departure from traditional spacecraft construction materials such as aluminium and carbon fiber composites.
According to SpaceX, the use of stainless steel provides several benefits, including durability, resistance to high temperatures, and ease of manufacturing. Stainless steel is also more cost-effective than some other high-performance materials, making it a more viable option for a reusable spacecraft like the Starship.
It is also worth noting that the Starship’s heat shield, which protects the spacecraft during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, is made of a different material – a type of ceramic called PICA-X (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator). The heat shield is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1,650°C (3,000°F) during reentry.
An abundant fuel type for starships in our solar system
The SpaceX Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster that will launch it both use a new type of rocket engine called the Raptor engine. The Raptor engine is a full-flow staged combustion cycle engine, which means it uses two turbopumps to generate high pressure and flow rates of propellant.
The Raptor engine uses a mix of cryogenic liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as its fuel (i.e. methalox). This is different from traditional rocket fuels such as kerosene or hydrogen, which have been used in other rocket engines in the past.
The use of methane as a rocket fuel has several benefits. It is a cleaner-burning fuel than other options, producing less carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful emissions. Methane is also abundant and can be produced on Mars and other planets using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques, making it a potentially useful fuel for future interplanetary missions.
Unique Starship engine type
In terms of the engine cycle, the Raptor engine uses a closed expander cycle, which is a type of staged combustion cycle. This type of cycle is known for its high efficiency and power, as it allows for the highest possible ratio of propellant mass flow rate to engine mass flow rate. This helps to maximize the performance of the Starship and Super Heavy rocket during launch and in space.
Starship avionics technology
The SpaceX Starship spacecraft uses a suite of advanced avionics systems to control and monitor the spacecraft’s various systems during flight. Some of the key avionics systems used in the Starship include:
- Flight computer: The Starship is equipped with a powerful flight computer that processes data from the spacecraft’s various sensors and control systems to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Sensors: The Starship is equipped with a variety of sensors, including inertial measurement units (IMUs), GPS receivers, and other systems that provide data on the spacecraft’s orientation, velocity, and other key parameters.
- Communication systems: The Starship is equipped with a suite of communication systems, including radios and antennas, that allow the spacecraft to communicate with ground-based control centers and other spacecraft.
- Autopilot: The Starship’s avionics system includes an autopilot that can control the spacecraft’s attitude and trajectory during flight.
- Navigation systems: The Starship is equipped with advanced navigation systems that use data from GPS and other sensors to determine the spacecraft’s position and orientation in space.
The Starship’s avionics systems are designed to provide precise and reliable control of the spacecraft during all phases of flight, from launch and ascent to orbit insertion, reentry, and landing.
How Starship compares with previous space rockets
The SpaceX Starship is a new type of rocket that differs from many traditional rockets in several key ways. Here are some comparisons between the Starship and other types of rockets:
Reusability: The Starship is designed to be fully reusable, meaning that both the spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster can be used for multiple missions. This is different from many traditional rockets, which are designed for single use only.
Payload capacity: The Starship has a payload capacity of up to 150 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), making it one of the most powerful rockets in the world. This is significantly more than other rockets such as the Delta IV Heavy, which has a payload capacity of around 28 tons to LEO.
Propellant: The Starship uses a mix of cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen as its propellant, which is different from other rockets such as the Atlas V and Delta IV, which use a mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
Construction: The Starship is made of stainless steel, which is a departure from traditional rocket materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber composites. This gives the Starship several advantages, including improved durability, resistance to high temperatures, and ease of manufacturing. Also in terms of size, Starship is the biggest ever created.
Compared to other rockets, the Starship is much more powerful in terms of both payload capacity and reusability. For example, the Falcon 9 rocket, also developed by SpaceX, has a payload capacity of about 22,800 kilograms (50,300 pounds) to low Earth orbit (LEO). In contrast, the Starship is designed to have a payload capacity of over 100,000 kilograms (220,000 pounds) to LEO, which is more than four times greater than the Falcon 9.
Additionally, the Starship is designed to be fully reusable, meaning that it can be flown multiple times without requiring significant refurbishment between flights. This is a major advantage over traditional rockets, which are typically single-use and require extensive repairs and refurbishment before they can be flown again.
In terms of raw power, the Starship’s Raptor engines are among the most powerful rocket engines ever developed. Each engine is capable of producing up to 230 metric tons (500,000 pounds) of thrust, making them more powerful than the engines used on the Saturn V rocket that carried astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program.
The Starship’s Raptor engines use a full-flow staged combustion cycle, which is a newer and more advanced engine cycle compared to many other rocket engines. This cycle provides higher efficiency and power than other engine cycles the Starship is a new and innovative rocket design that differs significantly from traditional rockets in several key ways. Its reusable design, high payload capacity, and advanced engine and construction technologies make it a promising platform for future space exploration and commercial missions.
Finally, we can only applaud and encourage SpaceX’s team for the arduous work that they are doing for the betterment of mankind, as it will allow avoiding a possible extinction of our species in the event of an asteroid collision with Earth. With the Starship we can glance at Mars already and see the future beyond the blue pebble planet that we call home.
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