Spacex' Starship is getting closer to succces

Spacex succesfully performed the so called "landing-burn" on Starship's Super Heavy Booster on June 6th for the first time since its development. The Starship Booster splashed downed sofly in the Gulf of Mexico, imitating a soft landing on land. Elon Musk, founder of Spacex said in a X post that Spacex will consider to try to land the Booster safely on land by catching it, using the Mechazilla arms, which is a tower with two long "arms" that are capable of catching both the First and the Second stage (Booster). The recent Booster splash-down succes means that Starship's concept of being fully reusable has proven to be realistic as both the Ship and Booster haven landed softly.

The Vision and Goal of Starship

The primary goal of Starship is to facilitate interplanetary travel, with Mars as its most ambitious destination. Elon Musk has been vocal about his vision of establishing a human colony on Mars, ensuring the long-term survival of humanity. Starship is designed to be a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying up to 100 passengers, significantly reducing the cost of space travel.

Beyond Mars, Starship aims to enable a variety of space missions, including lunar exploration, satellite deployment, and deep space missions. The spacecraft is also designed to support point-to-point travel on Earth, potentially reducing long-distance travel times to under an hour.

Why Starship is Important

1. Cost Efficiency: Traditional rockets are often expendable, resulting in high costs for each launch. Starship's full reusability dramatically reduces the cost per launch, making space access more affordable.

2. Increased Payload Capacity: Starship boasts a massive payload capacity, which can support large-scale missions and the transportation of significant amounts of cargo, including the infrastructure needed for establishing extraterrestrial colonies.

3. Interplanetary Colonization: Starship is central to SpaceX's Mars colonization plans. Establishing a human presence on Mars could ensure humanity's survival in the event of a catastrophic event on Earth. It also opens up possibilities for mining resources and conducting scientific research in a new environment.

4. Commercial Spaceflight: By reducing costs and increasing reliability, Starship paves the way for a booming commercial spaceflight industry. This includes space tourism, satellite deployment, and potentially even manufacturing in microgravity environments.

Technological Innovations

Starship is a technological marvel, incorporating several innovative features that set it apart from previous spacecraft.

1. Raptor Engines: The heart of Starship is its Raptor engines, which use a full-flow staged combustion cycle. This is a more efficient method of burning fuel compared to traditional engines, providing higher performance and reusability.

2. Stainless Steel Structure: Unlike most spacecraft that use lightweight aluminum alloys, Starship is constructed from stainless steel. This material choice provides better performance at high temperatures and is cost-effective, despite its heavier weight.

3. Heat Shield: Starship is equipped with a heat shield made of ceramic tiles designed to protect the spacecraft during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. These tiles are robust and capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures encountered during reentry.

4. Fully Reusability: Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft are designed for full reusability. This means they can be launched, landed, and refueled multiple times, significantly lowering the cost of access to space.

5. Versatile Design: Starship's design is highly versatile, enabling it to perform a wide range of missions. It can carry crew, cargo, or even be adapted for special missions like refueling other spacecraft in orbit or serving as a mobile base on the Moon or Mars.

Current Progress and Future Prospects

As of 2024, SpaceX has made significant progress with the Ship. Several prototypes have undergone test flights, achieving milestones such as high-altitude flights, controlled descents, and successful landings. And now also the Booster has proven its capabilities. These tests are crucial for refining the design and ensuring safety and reliability. 

Additionally, SpaceX has secured contracts with NASA, including a mission to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis program, using a lunar-optimized version of Starship.