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Falcon 9 (spacex's other rocket) wasn't human rated at first either. The point of starship is to reduce the cost of kg to orbit, by being a fully, and rapidly

by zizee 2y ago

Falcon 9 (spacex's other rocket) wasn't human rated at first either. The point of starship is to reduce the cost of kg to orbit, by being a fully, and rapidly reusable launch system. The other long term and loftier) goal is to enable Mars colonization, a mission who's current main blocker is cost of kg to orbit. By reducing the cost of putting things to orbit, you can do a whole lot more. Starlink is a good example, but if starship works it will be a paradigm shift that will result in a whole new space economy.

jodleif 2y ago
But falcon 9 is using a time tested approach and has safety systems. The starship has no backup if for some reason the engines fail to start…? (For the passenger angle) I don’t think the limiter to mars is cost to orbit: - Having a vessel where people can live for a couple of years - finding someone willing to take the (most likely) one-way ticket to mars - all the challenges of having a mars habitat. Radiation, dust, etc Reducing the cost: sure, starship has only been launched with no payload so far so the numbers are yet to be determined… and it’s only impressive (theoretical) numbers are to LEO.
- zizee 2y ago
  The cost to orbit is the current limiter for a mars mission because no one will invest in solving all the other challenges until cost to orbit is solved. It's also a lot easier to solve the problems you raised when cost to orbit is lowered. Early variants of starship will not be human rated. That will only happen once Starship has a proven track record. The is also no reason a human rated starship variant could not be built using the same safety systems seen with the dragon capsule. It sounds like you are having trouble seeing merit in starship. Falcon 9, whilst great, is not going to the end of launch system development. SpaceX believes Starship will bring significant improvements/benefits. This process is no different to how Automobiles and aircraft have seen improvements to their capabilities over the years.

by zizee 2y ago

jodleif 2y ago

But falcon 9 is using a time tested approach and has safety systems. The starship has no backup if for some reason the engines fail to start…? (For the passenger angle) I don’t think the limiter to mars is cost to orbit: - Having a vessel where people can live for a couple of years - finding someone willing to take the (most likely) one-way ticket to mars - all the challenges of having a mars habitat. Radiation, dust, etc Reducing the cost: sure, starship has only been launched with no payload so far so the numbers are yet to be determined… and it’s only impressive (theoretical) numbers are to LEO.

zizee 2y ago
The cost to orbit is the current limiter for a mars mission because no one will invest in solving all the other challenges until cost to orbit is solved. It's also a lot easier to solve the problems you raised when cost to orbit is lowered. Early variants of starship will not be human rated. That will only happen once Starship has a proven track record. The is also no reason a human rated starship variant could not be built using the same safety systems seen with the dragon capsule. It sounds like you are having trouble seeing merit in starship. Falcon 9, whilst great, is not going to the end of launch system development. SpaceX believes Starship will bring significant improvements/benefits. This process is no different to how Automobiles and aircraft have seen improvements to their capabilities over the years.