Background
Starship, the combination of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, is an entirely reusable transportation system created to transport crew and cargo to various locations, such as Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. With its capacity to transport up to 150 metric tonnes in a reusable mode and 250 metric tonnes in an expendable mode, Starship is set to become the most powerful launch vehicle ever built.
The Starship is designed to transport satellites to more extensive distances and at a reduced cost per launch than SpaceX’s current Falcon vehicles. Its payload capacity surpasses any fairing currently in operation or development, opening up new opportunities for missions, including the possibility of larger space telescopes than the James Webb.
Mars
With its capability to carry essential equipment and crews, Starship can facilitate the sustained exploration of humans and the establishment of cities on Mars in the future. Starship can transport up to 100 metric tons of payload to the Martian surface and can utilize its forward and aft storage capacity. In addition to its ability to transport crew and cargo to Mars, Starship is capable of returning them to Earth. To refuel on Mars, the vehicle uses local resources that are processed through a surface propellant production plant. As Starship descends into Mars’ atmosphere, it will reach a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second before slowing down through aerodynamic means. Although the heat shield is built to endure numerous entries, the high temperature at which the vehicle enters Mars’ atmosphere may still result in some ablation, comparable to wear and tear on a brake pad. Overall, Space X is working on making Starship increasingly efficient and expanding Startship’s capabilities so humans can further explore Mars and learn a great deal from it!