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SLS has been to the moon and back. Starship hasn't yet made it to orbit.
by 2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
SLS has been to the moon and back. Starship hasn't yet made it to orbit.
- nickff 2y agoSLS has been around the moon and back; that mission was equivalent to an unmanned Apollo VIII. Going around the moon is much easier than landing on it and coming back.
- kelnos 2y agoSure. And not-quite-getting-into-orbit is easier -- significantly easier -- than going around the moon. What's your point, really, aside from nitpicking, when "orbiting the moon" is a perfectly reasonable interpretation of the statement "been to the moon and back"?
- nickff 2y agoI think the difference between the US lunar exploration program and the Soviet one qualifies as more than mere nitpicking.
- bpodgursky 2y agoStarship has made orbit several times.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 2y agoNo it has not. Cite a source please.
- ben_w 2y agoKinda. They demonstrated orbital delta-v, but the perigee was always low enough to guarantee re-enter atmosphere after just half an orbit from launch, because of SpaceX's unreadiness to confidently perform a controlled de-orbit otherwise.
- bryanlarsen 2y agoTo be pedantic, Starship has made orbital velocity several times. It didn't circularize enough to be a full orbit. A full orbit would have been irresponsible. Blue Origin has left a massive trail of space junk from their last test mission because they went for an ambitious orbit rather than one that would passively deorbit immediately. https://x.com/shell_jim/status/1891842756500222212 https://x.com/shell_jim/status/1891842756500222212