This complex and complex sequence of actions relies on a number of unproven technologies; Chief among them is the need to refuel the starship while it waits in space. Dreyer said it was not yet clear how many launches would be needed to transport the necessary fuel, but they would have to happen in quick succession.
“To replenish Starship's tanks, it will require a dozen to perhaps 20 refueling launches over the course of a month so that it has enough energy to go to the Moon and return,” he said. “This has never been done before.”
Refueling in space alone would require a “tremendous advance” from where Starship is now, he said.
“This is a serious, massive undertaking,” Dreyer said. “And without all this you can’t get to the moon.”
The Starship lander is expected to tower nearly 150 feet above the thick, spidery-looking lunar landers NASA has used in its designs. Apollo program. This taller design allows Starship to carry more passengers and cargo, but it can also make the spacecraft less stable than its Apollo counterpart.
However, Dreyer said it didn't make much sense for NASA to resort to older technologies, partly because of the cost. A single launch of the Saturn V rocket, used by NASA for the Apollo flights, would cost about $2 billion today. SpaceX, on the other hand, is aiming to make Starship fully reusable, which will reduce costs and shorten the time between launches.
The next step for the company is to release an updated Starship prototype that will be about 5 feet taller and have new docking mechanisms, more energy storage and software updates to prepare it for long-duration flights.
The new version will be used for Starship's first orbital flights and will help SpaceX test key procedures such as fuel transport and payload delivery into space, SpaceX officials said. wrote in the post after the test on Monday.
Future flights like this week's will be closely watched as China approaches its 2030 goal.
“Four years in the space world is no time at all,” Dreyer said. “These are incredibly difficult and demanding things because space is always trying to kill you.”
