Space exploration has always been a dream of mankind, but it is also a cause full of challenges and risks. To make space travel safer, easier, and more affordable, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has come up with an ambitious plan: to build a spacecraft capable of transporting people and supplies to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Such a spacecraft is a starship, which will work with the Super Heavy launch system to form a fully reusable space transportation system. This system promises to revolutionize the way space travel is done, opening up new frontiers of exploration for humanity. But how does this system work?What is its core technology?What does it achieve?Let's dive deeper.
The key to the success of Starship and Super Heavy lies in its powerful engine, the Raptor. This next-generation engine, developed in-house by SpaceX, burns liquid methane and liquid oxygen, offering several advantages over traditional propellants:
Clean combustion: Unlike the kerosene-based fuel used by previous rockets, the Raptor burns cleanly and produces very little soot, helping to achieve a sustainable future for space exploration. In addition, liquid methane and liquid oxygen are also resources that can be manufactured on Mars, which means that Starship can refuel on Mars, allowing for a round-trip flight.
Efficient: The Raptor has excellent fuel efficiency, allowing Starship to fly farther and carry heavier payloads. The specific impulse of the Raptor (i.e., the thrust produced by a unit mass of propellant) is 380 seconds, which is 10 to 20 percent higher than the rocket engines currently in use. The Raptor also features a full-flow combustion chamber, an advanced design that improves the stability and efficiency of combustion.
Full Thrust Vector Control: Every Raptor engine has full thrust vector control, i.e., the direction and angle of the engine can be changed for precise maneuvering and control during launch, landing, and flight. This is critical for the reusability of Starship, as it requires vertical take-off and landing in different environments.
Starship will be powered by a total of 40 Raptor engines, configured in two stages:
Super Heavy: The first stage, Super Heavy, will be equipped with 33 Raptor engines, providing tremendous thrust to lift the entire system off the ground. With a diameter of 9 meters, a height of 70 meters and a weight of 3000 tons, the Super Heavy is the largest rocket ever built. The Super Heavy has a maximum thrust of 7200 tons, which is equivalent to the thrust of 18 Boeing 747 airliners. The Super-Heavy can send a starship and a 100-ton payload into Earth's orbit, or a 21-ton payload to Mars.
Starship: The second stage, Starship, will use 7 Raptor engines, optimized for space maneuvering and providing the thrust needed to travel to Mars and beyond. The Starship is also 9 meters in diameter, 50 meters in height, and weighs 120 tons, making it the largest spaceship ever built. With a maximum thrust of 1200 tons, Starship can perform multiple ignitions and maneuvers in space. The Starship has an interior space of 1000 cubic meters and can accommodate 100 passengers and their belongings.
This multi-engine configuration allows for flexible mission configurations. The Super Heavy can be used to launch satellites and cargo into Earth orbit, while Starship can be used for interstellar travel and moon landings. Both stages can be returned to Earth after launch for maintenance and reuse, reducing launch costs and increasing transmission frequency.
Developing an engine as powerful and efficient as the Raptor was no easy task. SpaceX had to overcome several engineering challenges, including:
High combustion temperatures: Birds of Raptor operate at extremely high temperatures, requiring innovative materials and cooling technologies. The Raptor has a combustion chamber temperature of 3300 degrees Celsius, which is higher than the melting point of steel. To prevent the engine from overheating, SpaceX uses a technique called regenerative cooling, in which liquid methane circulates through the engine's walls while absorbing heat and preheating the fuel. SpaceX also uses a special alloy, SX500, that can withstand high temperatures and pressures.
Turbopump design: The turbopump responsible for delivering propellant to the engine operates at supersonic speeds, pushing the limits of materials science. A turbopump is a fan-like device that pulls propellant out of a tank and into the combustion chamber at high pressure. The Raptor turbine pump reaches a speed of 20,000 revolutions per minute, which is equivalent to 333 revolutions per second. This high-speed operation creates enormous stress and wear, so SpaceX uses a material called a superalloy that can resist high temperatures and pressures.
Full Thrust Vector Control: Precise control of 40 individual engines is a complex task that requires advanced software and control systems. Full thrust vectoring control is a technique that can adjust the attitude and orbit of a spacecraft by changing the direction and angle of the engine. To achieve this, SpaceX has developed software for Falcon Flight Computer, which can monitor and control the status and parameters of each engine in real time. SpaceX also uses the Thrust Vector Control Actuator, which can change the angle of the engine's nozzles hydraulically or electrically.
Starships and super-heavy propulsion systems are key to unlocking a new era of space exploration. This innovative system will make it possible to:
Reduced launch costs: Starship with the reusability of the Super Heavy will significantly reduce launch costs, making space travel more accessible and applicable to a wider range of missions and organizations. SpaceX estimates that each launch will cost less than $2 million, orders of magnitude less than the current cost of rocket launches.
Rapid deployment of payloads: The system's ability to launch and land quickly will allow for faster deployment of satellites and other payloads into space, accelerating scientific discovery and technological progress. Starships can also dock in space, transfer payloads to and receive payloads from other spacecraft or space stations, and realize the efficient operation of space logistics.
Interstellar Travel: Starship's powerful engines and spacious interior will make it possible to travel people to Mars and beyond, opening up new frontiers for human exploration. Musk's vision is to create a Martian colony that would make humanity a multi-planetary species. He expects the first Starships to arrive on Mars by 2024 and 1 million people on Mars by 2050.
As SpaceX continues to refine and test Starship and Super Heavy systems, we are standing on the threshold of a new chapter in space exploration. The future of space travel looks brighter than ever, driven by the innovations and powerful propulsion technologies that propelled Starship and Superheavy forward.
Stay tuned for this exciting development in space exploration!