SpaceX Launches Starship User Guide

Elon Musk is back at it again, and this time, his plans are out of this world.

Amidst all of the COVID-19 hysteria, SpaceX released the first version of a user’s manual for the company’s newest invention, the Starship. The “Starship User’s Guide Version 1.0” is the first installment of the blueprint for a next-generation vehicle for space travel that is currently under development in Texas. The manual contains several mathematical equations and graphics that describe the Starship’s potential payload volume, acoustics and performance capabilities. The manual goes into general details about the aircraft’s abilities in order to outline how the spacecraft will launch and its expected performance. The end goal is for the Starship to be able to repair satellites while in orbit and carry passengers to space.

Another big focus of the manual is the spacecraft’s ability to remain reusable for future missions. In addition to the environmental benefit of reusing old rockets, SpaceX is allowing for more flights in the future by eliminating the need to rebuild the rocket after every launch. More flights mean more launches, and as space travel becomes normalized, it can become commercialized in the future. 

Elon Musk’s main goal has always been to take people beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The Starship has the potential to take human passengers to the moon and maybe someday Mars. The craft will have enough room to accommodate 100 passengers per flight and feature several services for said passengers. Amenities for future space travelers include: “private cabins, large common areas, centralized storage, solar storm shelters and a viewing gallery.” With intentions of flying out of the launch stations in both Boca Chica, Texas and Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX is planning on having multiple flights at a time in order to increase their operational capability to a level that has never been seen before. SpaceX also hopes that the Starship will one day replace the space shuttle, predicting that production will reach upwards of 100 spacecraft per year in order to further maximize space trips.    

SpaceX has said that it is open to mission ideas from potential clients who contact the company’s sales team and will consider them when making the final version of the spacecraft. For now, the company is still working on the development of the Starship’s reusability as well as creating prototypes for high altitude flight tests. As for price range, the manual mentions nothing about the cost to build or launch the Starship and its reusable rockets. However, for now, the trip may be too costly for the average individual to afford. But, if the launch goes as planned, space travel may be in our futures.        

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