"Both NASA and SpaceX push on to launch their respective super heavy lift launch vehicles.
What will this mean for the space industry, and will this make all other rockets obsolete?" --Olu thomas, 8th grade
First let's define what a super heavy lift launch vehicle is, as described by Soviet/Russian classification it is a rocket that can put 100 tons or more into low earth orbit. When SLS, also known as the Space Launch System and Starship, fly they will be the second and third super heavy lift launch vehicles to fly. The only other super heavy lift rockets to fly have been Boings Saturn V, and the Russian energia rocket.
The latest flight of a super heavy lift rocket was on the november 1988, meaning it's been 34 years since a super heavy lift rocket was launched.
Starship's main goal is to bring humans to mars and the outer solar system at a very low cost, it aims to do this because, if earth were to go through a major extinction level event humans must be a space faring civilization. Starship will be the first fully reusable rocket when it flies and also the first commercially built super heavy lift rocket, which are both huge milestones in the quest for cheaper and more reliable space travel. If starship can achieve its goal of being priced at just 2 million dollars, what will this mean for the rest of the space industry, for comparison a launch on rocket labs electron rocket can put about 1 ton to orbit for 7 million dollars, when you compare this to starships numbers of 100 tons to orbit for 2 million dollars it looks like starship could put up a flight for rocket labs customers along with other small sat launchers.
The main goal of SLS is to be a reliable workhorse for the next generation of manned (and womaned this time) space exploration, a follow up to the space shuttle in a way. SLS aims to push humans to the moon, mars and the outer solar system just like starship but in a very different way, unlike starship, SLS is not reusable meaning that costs will be higher
Why are both rockets being built at the same time? Unfortunately they are not racing like NASA and Russia were in the 60s. Rather, years of delays for SLS and a swift time schedule for Starship has them both on track to launch their super heavy lift rockets around the same time. Both are being built for different reasons, SLS to go to the moon for cheap, and Starship to get humans on mars.
All in all we can appreciate the amount of work, money and time that goes into the design, development and production of these massive rockets. Whether you think that space should be a private endeavor funded by the uber rich, or if you think that it should be funded by public tax paying dollars we can all agree that space is amazing. Always has been.
The latest flight of a super heavy lift rocket was on the november 1988, meaning it's been 34 years since a super heavy lift rocket was launched.
Starship's main goal is to bring humans to mars and the outer solar system at a very low cost, it aims to do this because, if earth were to go through a major extinction level event humans must be a space faring civilization. Starship will be the first fully reusable rocket when it flies and also the first commercially built super heavy lift rocket, which are both huge milestones in the quest for cheaper and more reliable space travel. If starship can achieve its goal of being priced at just 2 million dollars, what will this mean for the rest of the space industry, for comparison a launch on rocket labs electron rocket can put about 1 ton to orbit for 7 million dollars, when you compare this to starships numbers of 100 tons to orbit for 2 million dollars it looks like starship could put up a flight for rocket labs customers along with other small sat launchers.
The main goal of SLS is to be a reliable workhorse for the next generation of manned (and womaned this time) space exploration, a follow up to the space shuttle in a way. SLS aims to push humans to the moon, mars and the outer solar system just like starship but in a very different way, unlike starship, SLS is not reusable meaning that costs will be higher
Why are both rockets being built at the same time? Unfortunately they are not racing like NASA and Russia were in the 60s. Rather, years of delays for SLS and a swift time schedule for Starship has them both on track to launch their super heavy lift rockets around the same time. Both are being built for different reasons, SLS to go to the moon for cheap, and Starship to get humans on mars.
All in all we can appreciate the amount of work, money and time that goes into the design, development and production of these massive rockets. Whether you think that space should be a private endeavor funded by the uber rich, or if you think that it should be funded by public tax paying dollars we can all agree that space is amazing. Always has been.
