The SpaceX Starship system has the potential to fundamentally transform NASA’s capabilities for robotic and human missions to the Moon and Mars. The fully reusable Starship vehicle, consisting of the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, offers unprecedented payload mass and volume capabilities compared to traditional launch vehicles.
Unmatched Payload Capacity
A core advantage of Starship is its ability to deliver extremely large payloads to lunar and Martian surfaces. While most launch vehicles can carry 10-25 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), Starship will be able to transport around 100 tons. For comparison, the total mass of NASA’s Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter on Mars is just 1 ton. This immense carrying capacity results from Starship’s architecture of launching to orbit on the Super Heavy booster, then refueling in space from tanker Starships before journeying onward.
For Mars, Starship could enable delivering all the equipment for initial human bases in just a few launches. Multiple cargo Starships pre-positioned on the surface would provide critical supplies, habitats, and infrastructure ahead of crewed flights. Early robotic rovers deployed by Starships could conduct detailed reconnaissance and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) prospecting.
On the Moon, Starship offers new options for ambitious science missions. Entire lunar surface outposts with multiple mobile and static elements could be rapidly emplaced. Huge robotic rovers over 10 tons could comprehensively explore the lunar terrain.
Unconstrained Payload Design
In addition to raw mass, Starship provides vastly increased payload volume compared to traditional rockets like Falcon 9 or Atlas V. Its 8 meter diameter cargo bay dwarfs the usual 4-5 meter width. Starship will also allow payload heights up to 18 meters.
These expanded dimensions will remove many constraints on payload design. Components can be larger, simpler, more robust, and potentially cheaper. Exotic lightweight materials and complex origami-like deployments will no longer be necessary. For instance, large monolithic mirrors up to 8 meters wide could be carried rather than complex segmented optics. This simplicity should shorten development timelines and reduce testing needs.
On the science side, missions like NASA’s LUVOIR space telescope concept could benefit tremendously. LUVOIR aims to directly image Earth-like exoplanets, but is currently designed to launch on a 5 meter diameter SLS Block 1B vehicle. With Starship, LUVOIR’s 6 to 15 meter mirror could possibly be a single 8 meter wide piece. This would avoid the immense complexity of deploying and aligning multiple smaller segments.
Frequent and Low-Cost Launches
In addition to performance, Starship aims to radically improve launch affordability. SpaceX targets costs comparable to or lower than their Falcon 9 rocket launches. While launch costs are secondary with Starship’s capabilities, frequent low-cost flights could enable new mission paradigms.
For Mars, SpaceX envisions launching many Starship cargo flights every 26 month window when Earth and Mars align. These frequent small windows are impossible for traditional Mars missions, which often have to wait years for the right planetary geometry. Frequent Starship flights could allow flexible delivery of payloads tailored for evolving surface infrastructure needs.
At the Moon, low-cost Starship flights could enable entirely new mission classes and science goals. NASA’s Astro2020 decadal survey proposed many Probe-class missions for dedicated small science investigations. Their $1.5 billion price tag makes only ~1 per decade affordable now. With Starship, dozens of Probes could fly each decade, allowing more creativity and risk-taking in mission design.
Starship’s launch cadence also facilitates broader community participation in spaceflight. More universities and international partners could propose small payloads and instruments. Starship flights to the Moon and Mars have the potential to greatly democratize planetary exploration.
Summary
Starship’s unmatched payload capacity, expanded payload volume, and potential for frequent affordable launches could accelerate the pace of lunar and Martian science and exploration. But NASA must develop new programs tailored to Starship’s rapid development approach. Selecting payloads on short timeframes will be necessary to capitalize on early Starship test flights. While technical risks exist, the immense benefits warrant investigating how Starship could transform NASA’s activities on the Moon and Mars.