SpaceX’s Future Starship Models & Their Purpose
SpaceX’s future goals consist of many different plans including Mars, the Moon, and beyond. The private space companies work on Starship is meant to help them with each and every goal in the future. However, each new challenge requires specific features and tweaks on Starship. For this reason, SpaceX has shown and talked about possible future Starship models and exactly what they are for.
In the future, we are likely to see multiple different Starship models such as a lunar lander variation, crew, cargo, tanker, and more. Each Starship model will either be made for the sole purpose of a specific mission or in aid to multiple different goals. The specific models will ensure Starship is built to the best of its ability for the given task.
Each new environment brings up different and unique challenges. Whether SpaceX needs to go to a different planet or needs additional fuel in orbit, Starship models are key to SpaceX’s future. While Starship’s core features will mostly stay the same, some additions will strongly benefit the launch vehicle depending on the mission.
SpaceX’s Future Plans
From the very start of SpaceX, Elon and the company have been clear on their future goals of going to Mars. Not only does Musk want to go to the red planet but also set up a large human colony and presence. Starship is meant to be the key that unlocks the future of space travel for the private company. SpaceX and Elon have mentioned that they plan to send multiple uncrewed cargo missions prior to sending the first humans.
However, this is just one of the many ambitious goals of SpaceX. Another is working with NASA and providing a lunar lander for the Moon. Recently SpaceX won a $2.9 billion contract from NASA to develop a human-rated lunar lander for the Moon. This is necessary for NASA’s future goal of setting up a more permanent presence on the Moon. Starship is not only meant to do all these things but also refill another Starship while in orbit. This is meant for ensuring Starship has enough propellant for the journey to different planets and beyond. Each of these goals has unique challenges and requires specific changes and additions to the original Starship model.
Starship Models
Crew – One of the more popular and frequently talked about is the crew Starship. Many would consider this to be the normal or regular Starship model. This model would be meant for carrying humans and safely transporting them from destination A to B. This would be used for multiple different circumstances such as Mars. The crew Starship is supposed to hold around 100 people and be capable of landing them on Mars and bringing them back. Not only would it be used for Mars but also for possible Earth to Earth transportation.
SpaceX has talked about and created visuals showing a future where Starship transports people across the world in as little as 30 minutes. The crew Starship would be used for this goal as well. When looking at a Starship meant for humans there are a few differences to other models. The main exterior difference would be windows. A lot of different SpaceX renders show a large array of windows towards the top of the Starship. This would provide a great view and help with the long journey to Mars or even further. Looking at the inside this would be one of the biggest differences. Rather than using all available space for cargo or something else, this Starship model would have everything humans need. This includes open space, amenities, life support, and more.
Lunar Lander – The Starship lunar lander is expected to have a lot of differences from the regular model. The Moon presents many different challenges including the lack of atmosphere, material on the ground, energy needs, and more. Not to mention it would have to be capable of carrying not only astronauts but also a large number of supplies. Taking a look at the exterior of the Starship lunar lander you will see a lot of noticeable differences. One of the most obvious is the large thrusters surrounding the rocket around the top. SpaceX is planning on using large RCS thrusters towards the top of the Starship lunar lander.
The rocket will still have the regular six Raptor engines on the bottom but will add some extra thrust options higher up on Starship. This has to do with the Moon’s lack of gravity and material on the ground. If SpaceX were to use the Raptor engines on the bottom for landing then it would shoot up a massive amount of material. This would happen due to the Raptor’s large amount of thrust and their close proximity to the ground when landing. The large thrusters towards the top would keep distance from the surface and avoid shooting material everywhere. As far as the interior this would likely be similar to the crew model. It would need life support and other amenities for the multiple-day trip as well as space for cargo.
Cargo – Before SpaceX and Elon send the first humans to Mars they want to send multiple cargo Starships. These Starships would be made just for bringing supplies and would be capable of carrying a lot of weight. The cargo Starship design will likely look similar to the current Starship models we are watching SpaceX test today. It would have primarily stainless steel construction and likely no windows on the outside.
The inside is where the most changes are made. Almost every inch of useable space inside the Starship would be used for holding different supplies and necessary items. Additionally, it’s possible this model would have a large hatch towards the front that could open and close. This could be used for launching an estimated 400 Starlink satellites per launch. The cargo Starship would be crucial to SpaceX for getting everything they need for a mission on the necessary planet or even launching satellites in orbit.
Tanker – The final Starship model I want to talk about is the tanker variant. Many of SpaceX’s future goals and missions with Starship have one thing in common. This is the process of refilling propellant in orbit. After lift-off, Super Heavy does the majority of work for getting the Starship second stage up to orbit. However once disconnected the Starship upper stage still has to ignite its engines and pick up speed to enter the correct orbit.
This along with other propellant and weight factors means it’s beneficial for SpaceX to refill a Starship in orbit. This would ensure there is enough propellant for the journey and help increase Starship’s payload capacity. SpaceX and Elon have talked about a future tanker model of Starship. This model would launch on top of Super Heavy like every other variant but it would just hold propellant. It would then meet up with a different Starship upper stage in orbit, connect, and refill all the necessary propellant.
Conclusion
The different Starship models mentioned prior are just some of SpaceX’s future ideas for what Starship can become. Each Starship variant has unique advantages meant specifically for its task. This will help cut down on costs, speed up production, make the mission more successful overall, and more. All of these models are built off of the main Starship construction. The crew model will provide SpaceX a launch vehicle to send humans to Mars and even people across Earth. The lunar lander will help NASA and its mission of setting up a more permanent human presence on the Moon. The cargo will do the heavy lifting and send necessary supplies to planets before humans arrive. The tanker will hold all the necessary propellant for refilling, helping each mission. With Starship development continuing at fast speeds we will have to wait and see what SpaceX achieves and what their future plans turn out to be.
