From the outset, it was evident that relying solely on a single SpaceX Starship was not a feasible option for a journey to Mars. The challenges of traversing beyond Earth’s orbit, which would necessitate multiple refueling stops using additional Starships, as well as successfully recovering all the spacecraft and their Super Heavy boosters, are formidable. Despite the promise of the Starship to increase payload capacity and reduce costs through its reusability, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has acknowledged the possibility of utilizing “expendable” upper stages to further increase the amount of cargo transported into Earth’s orbit. This raises concerns, as … Continue reading The Challenges of Relying Solely on a Single SpaceX Starship for a Journey to Mars